The Start
by zokaizane
Summary: Reborn had a greater reason to tutor Tsuna. His alternate fate began in Tokyo, where he was a young 20 year old head of a criminal organization. Adult RebornxFem!Tsuna (ish)
1. Chapter 1

**First story. **

**Sorry the first chapter is so long, I wanted to get most of character intros out of the way. :P **

**Reviews please! Thanks ^-^**

**I do not own any part of KHR.**

"The operation failed AGAIN?" The man behind the desk roared. He slammed his hand on the table and nearly threw his black fedora in frustration.

"I-I'm s-sorry, Reborn-sama," whimpered the unfortunate henchman, "I-it was that B-black Hunter guy again."

Reborn leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.' _Damn', _he thought to himself, '_This is the third time this week.' _

He dismissed the henchman and summoned his two right hand men to his office. Reborn looked in the mirror and tried to smooth the wrinkles of his black suit. He knew that as the young 20 year old leader of a major criminal organization, he had to keep a professional and powerful look to keep the older ones in check.

Two men in matching suits nearly identical to Reborn's walked into the office. Both had a slender, yet muscular, build and walked with a relaxed aura, as if they knew nothing could happen to them. One man with short, gelled back, straight, blond hair looked at Reborn with a grin, "You called, Reborn-kun?"

If it had been any other person than the two in front of him that had addressed him that way, Reborn would have a corpse on his hands right now. However, Reborn just smirked. "Why yes, yes I did Leoko." They had been friends since childhood and founded the company together. Under normal circumstances, Leoko would've strived to be the main boss. But in this case, both knew that it was Reborn who would have an upper hand in the criminal world.

Reborn's demeanor became serious again. "I need you to tell me what you've learned about the Black Hunter from this attack."

The grin faded from Leoko's face." It's the same information we've gathered before. He uses both a bow and a gun, a bow when engaging the lookouts and a gun when engaging the main group. The Black Hunter wears a black suit and a red fedora. The witnesses also said that his eyes glow bright emerald green and when he attacks, it's almost as if he knows the future and were to be at the right time."

"Any casualties?" asked Reborn.

"None," replied Leoko," They were all put to sleep with special arrows and bullets. With, of course, the exception of the 'Victim'."

Reborn's heart sank and slumped into his seat. The reason why the attacks of the Black Hunter were so strange was the fact that at each botched operation, there was always one victim who's description of the Hunter differed from everyone else's—and not in a good way. "Kureko-kun?" said Reborn wearily, addressing the other man in the room with black spiky hair. "What's your information on the 'Victim'?"

Kureko sighed. "Nothing new either. The 'Victim' claims that after everyone else had been defeated, the Hunter approached him and said, '_You don't desrve your fate. I will give you a second chance_.' Then, the hunter gave him a kiss and left him with a black rose. After the kiss, the description of the Hunter changed. The new description only differed from the original description in one way: the Hunter's eyes turned into a golden, honey brown. Through blood tests, we have found a drug that causes hallucinations, so I'm not sure if we can trust this description." Kureko looked up at Reborn. "The 'Victim' is requesting to leave the company, just like the other ones."

Reborn shut his eyes. _At this rate, I'm going to lose all my employees and my customers._ He fumed._ No one's going to come to me for weapons anymore. I'm going to lose my status in this underground business!_

Frustrated, he just sighed and turned back to Kureko and Leoko who seemed just as annoyed as he was. "Fine. Grant his request."

"Should we wipe his memory?" asked Leoko

Reborn pondered on the question. I was another part of the attacks that infuriated him. Any trace of the appearance of the 'Black Hunter' would be wiped from the henchman's memory, so no one could recognize the Hunter of he was seen. Sadly, the risks of revealing the secrets of the company were too high. "Yes, give him the memory loss drug and a $1,000. Then, leave him by the bus stop. After that, cancel all the other operations we ave this week. We can't keep losing men and resources like this."

Leoko growled. "Do we have to give him the money? Without our usual profit, we're losing a lot of money."

"I will not abandon a former employee." Reborn said simply. "No one should be left alone in a world like this."

"Whatever," muttered Leoko, "Let's just get back to the campus. There's nothing else for us to do here."

-_It's hard being such a young criminal mastermind_, thought Reborn as he, Kureko, and Leoko walked down the empty sidewalk, _But it's even harder since I also have to go to college to maintain my cover._

"I can't believe it's only 1 am," complained Leoko, "If I knew our operation would be cut short, I would've just stayed at home."

"More like pick up a pretty girl and then go home," Kureko corrected, "We all know what you do on your days off."

Leoko laughed and replied, "Hey, I don't have nor need a girlfriend like you do to keep me company."

Kureko blushed and Reborn chuckled softly. They say in the criminal world, there's no on you can trust,but Reborn knew that Kureko and Leoko would stay by his side.

"So where should we go now?" asked Leoko "It's not like we're going to get any sleep with this 'Black Hunter' dilemma of ours?"

"Well my girlfriend recently opened a café near the university, why don't we go there?" Kureko suggested.

Reborn sighed. "Let's go then. If we're not going to sleep, we might as well get some coffee if we're going to pull an all- nighter."

They went into the shop, where Kureko was promptly tackled by a woman with straight jet –black hair and a smile that seemed to brighten up the room

Kureko groaned and picked himself off the floor. "Keiko! I plan to go to school tomorrow—and not with broken ribs!"

Keiko just laughed and flashed her perfect smile. "So-rry! I was just so happy that you came to visit me on my night-shift!" She turned to the spot where Leoko and Reborn were trying not to double over in laughter. "Reborn-kun! Leoko-kun! You guys came too?"

"'Course we did Keiko-chan!" exclaimed Leoko while draping an arm over her shoulder, much to Kureko's dismay. "Why wouldn't we come to see such a pretty girl like you, right Reborn?"

Leoko looked over at Reborn and saw him staring intensely at something. "Reborn?"

Reborn shook himself out of his daze and turned to where Keiko was carefully extracting herself from Leoko's embrace. "Hey Keiko-chan?"

"Hmmm?"

"You never told us you hired a new barista."

"Oh yeah!" Keiko smiled and waved over the brunette barista with honey-golden eyes that Reborn had been observing before. "This is Kudo Tsunade!" she said, "She just transferred here from Osaka!"

Tsunade bowed. "Nice to meet you all. I'll also be attending Tokyo University. I hope we can become good friends."

As Tsunade straightened back up, her eyes caught Reborn's. Reborn felt a shiver up his spine. _There's something strange about her, I just can't quite name it, _he thought.

Tsunade turned back to Keiko. "I'll be leaving now Keiko-san."

"Okay!" said Keiko cheerfully "See you tomorrow!"

As Tsunade went to get her bag, Keiko let out a sigh and sadly, "Poor girl, she's been through so much!"

"What do you mean?" asked Kureko

"Her parents and her twin brother died in a horrible accident when she was 15. And if that wasn't bad enough, she wasn't even allowed to see the corpses!"

Reborn head snapped up. He looked at Leoko and Kureko and saw the same understanding expression on their faces. _That's why she looked strange. Her appearance almost exactly matches the description of the Black Hunter. Now there's just one more thing…_

"Hey Keiko," Reborn said casually, "Did Tsunade-san ever describe her brother to you?"

"Well, no," said Keiko, confused, " But the picture she sent me with her resume had both her and her brother in it. Want to see it?"

"Yes please."

Keiko went to the back and got the picture. "She's so unfortunate. She even refuses to call me Keiko-chan like everyone else! And…"

Keiko kept talking, but Reborn was no longer listening. He grinned at the photo. _Just as I thought. _The two people in the picture looked nearly identical, except instead of honey-brown eyes, Tsunade's brother had emerald green ones.

**Well thanks for reading a newbie's story .!**

**The next chapter may be freakishly short because I didn't want this one to be too long.**


	2. Chapter 2

Kudo Tsunade sighed she retrieved her stuff from the back of the café.

_It's hard being a new transfer. _She thought, _Especially moving up north because everyone stares at your skin like you're a freak._

Tsunade shook these thoughts out of her head. _Never mind fitting in_. _I have business to do here in Tokyo and I can't let anything get in my way._

Tsunade opened the back door and was about to leave when Keiko burst in.

"Hey Tsunade-chan!" she exclaimed "Is it ok if I show your picture to Reborn-kun?"

"Reborn-kun?" Tsunade said, confused.

"Yeah! You know, the man in a suit and a black fedora that just came in. He's inquiring about your brother for some reason."

Tsunade froze._ My brother Tsunayoshi? _

Seeing the expression on Tsunade's face, Keiko's smile faded. "It's ok if you don't want to show him the picture. I mean, I'll just tell him—"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, no it's ok," she said as she began stepping out the door, "See you tomorrow Keiko-san."

The smile instantly reappeared on Keiko's face. "Thanks so much Tsunade! See you." She walked of the room, happy that everyone got what they wanted.

Tsunade closed the door behind her, feeling the cool Tokyo air on her face. She looked around and saw a dark silhouette at the end of the alleyway. A grin spread across her face as she ran towards the figure with open arms. "Iemitsu-nii sama!"

Sawada Iemitsu almost fell over and chuckled. "Hey there Tsunade-chan."

Tsunade hugged Iemitsu and looked up at him. "Why are you here Nii-sama? It's 1 am."

Iemitsu sighed. "To make sure you were ok of course! And how many times have I told you to stop calling me Nii-sama? I'm not your brother anymore."

"Oh, right," said Tsunade with a dejected expression on her face. When Iemitsu turned 18, he decided to revoke the adoption certificate and take on his original name again. Whenever Tsunade asked him why, he would just say, "I can't live like this anymore." _Why won't he tell me why? _Tsunade thought constantly. _I'll always think of him as my nii-sama even if legally we aren't._

"Come on," said Iemitsu gently, "I'll drive you back to your apartment."

Both of them stood in front of Tsunade's apartment.

"Why don't you come in Iemitsu-kun!" Tsunade pleaded, "You should have some tea to warm up. Tokyo isn't as warm as Osaka you know."

Iemitsu smiled, "Thanks, but I have to go to my apartment to finish unpacking. I'll see you tomorrow."

Iemitsu was about to leave when he heard Tsunade sigh loudly.

"I didn't want to say it out loud." Tsunade said, "But I think I've found our target."

Tsunade looked up and saw Iemitsu with a grim expression on his face. "Let's talk more inside."

Tsunade brought a pot of hot tea to the table where Iemitsu was setting up the computer he brought with him everywhere he went.

"I found a man that matches what our sources have to us," said Tsunade, "His first name is Reborn."

"Reborn… Aha! Found him." Iemitsu turned the computer towards Tsunade, which had a picture of Reborn in high clarity on the screen."

"Wow!" exclaimed Tsunade, impressed. "That was fast."

"Well we aren't the youngest and most efficient Interpol team for nothing," said Iemitsu, leaning back in his chair.

"It seems like Reborn's not the youngest criminal mastermind for nothing either," said Tsunade, who was reading the information that was gathered about Reborn, "There's almost nothing here." She turned to Iemitsu, "Not to mention the fact that he's getting close to figuring out the identity of the 'Black Hunter'."

Iemitsu nearly spit out his tea. "What?!"

Tsunade laughed, "Don't worry! He fell for the red herrings."

"Oh," Iemitsu said, relaxing, "Yeah, the green eyes and false gender were a good idea."

Tsunade reached over and grabbed the red fedora that still smelled of gunpowder from three hours earlier. "He thinks I'm Tsunayoshi. "

"Your brother? But isn't he dead?" Iemitsu asked.

Tsunade placed the fedora on her head and took a long sip of her tea. "The fates are moving Iemitsu-nii—er—kun. I will finish the fate my brother could never reach." A small smile began spreading across her face. "Reborn is very popular in the criminal world. Once he falls, the others will follow."

Little did she know that not even she, the Changer of Fates, could change her own fate.


	3. Chapter 3

Reborn was leaning back in his chair, staring at the picture of Tsunade and her brother the Keiko had given him.

_So this is the 'Black Hunter', _he thought, _Of course, I don't have any proof yet, but the evidence is overwhelming. I just need to collect more information…_

The professor at the front of the room clapped his hands, quieting the class and snapping Reborn back to reality. "Class, we have two new transfer students from Osaka that will be joining us," he said.

The two students bowed. "Hello, my name is Samada Iemitsu,' said the man with blond hair and a muscular build.

"And I'm Kudo Tsunade," said the slender brunette woman with honey golden eyes.

"Please take care of us!" they said simultaneously.

_Well well well, _thought Reborn, a smile now spreading across his face, _that was easier than I thought_.

"Ok then!" said the professor, "Now that we have introductions out of the way, let's get class started. Sawada-kun, you can go sit next to Mouri Leoko-kun and—Kudo-kun! You can go sit next to Renato Chaos- kun over there."

Reborn heard a few sniggers, probably from Leoko and Kureko. He ducked his head so that his eyes were in the shadow of his fedora. "Stupid professor," he growled under his breath, "No one calls me that anymore."

Tsunade walked up the aisle to where Reborn was, attracting more than a few stares from the other guys. She sat down next to Reborn, who turned to face her with a smile on his face and an outstretched hand.

"Hello," he said, "I don't believe we have formally met. My name is Renato Chaos, but everyone just calls me Reborn."

"Renato? From the Latin word _renatus _which means to be 'be born again'? I can see why your nick name is Reborn." Tsunade suppressed a smirk as she saw Reborn's mouth drop open.

"Wow!" Reborn exclaimed, shocked, "Not many people know that!"

Tsunade smiled mysteriously, "Well I am majoring in Law Enforcement—the Criminal Profiling unit. I need to know random facts like that if I am to be able to succeed. Want to hear more about yourself?"

Reborn, recovering from his shock, chuckled and said, "Sure. Why not. I think I'll be a good subject for you."

Tsunade glanced at the professor, "Wait, maybe you should be paying attention to this."

Reborn laughed. "Listen to Kahara-sensei?" he said in disbelief, "He teaches straight from the textbook. I'm convinced he just reads directly from the text as his lesson plan. Besides, I read the textbook cover to cover several times already. I think it's you that needs to pay attention."

"Well I am," said Tsunade, "In a way." Seeing Reborn's confused expression, she hastily explained, "I have a perfect audiographic and photographic memory. So if the professor is talking, I'll be able to filter out the information he's saying from the other sounds later."

"Well then I guess you can start with your deduction," said Reborn, secretly impressed by Tsunade's mental power.

Tsunade grinned. "Based off your name, I can guess that your father is a foreigner, Italian probably. Your weathered hands show that you have a lot of weapon's handling experience. That means you probably have a major that requires weapon usage" She pointed at his suit. "Since your suit is neatly pressed, I can assume that you're extremely neat and have multiple suits. Your black fedora however, is probably the only one you own."

Reborn was silent for a moment, and then he chuckled, "Well colored me impressed, you were almost exactly correct. The only detail you missed was that I'm actually a mathematics major that happens to also be a weapon's enthusiast."

Tsunade laughed and looked around, "It seems like class is over," she said, nodding her head at the masses of students leaving the classroom."

Reborn pouted, "Aww man, and I didn't get to learn about you because you were amazing me with your skill."

"Don't worry," said Tsunade as she packed up her stuff, "I'll be working at Keiko-san's café around noon. Why don't we talk more then? I'll ask Keiko if I can take a break when you come."

"She probably will," said Reborn, "Keiko-chan is a real nice person. See you then!"

Tsunade smiled and began walking over to where Iemitsu was waiting. "See you."

"So how was it?" asked Leoko as he, Reborn, and Kureko walked towards their next class.

"It seems that she has an extraordinary memory," Reborn said, his eyes in the shadow of the fedora again, "That type of mental power is extremely rare and usually runs in families. If my thoughts are correct, the "Black Hunter" should have the same power since it seems that he always knows what our plans are. He could've filtered out the voices of our henchman from the crowd and pinpointed the location by measuring the volume and direction of the voice."

"Are you sure?" said Kureko skeptically, "That seems like a big stretch to me."

"That's why we're getting close to her and Sawada," said Reborn with a smirk. "They'll give us the information we need to corner the 'Black Hunter'. The Hunter will become the hunted."

"So how was it, said Iemitsu, unknowingly saying the same words as Leoko.

"His history and behavior matches the profile," said Tsunade, "He's a mathematics major, yet his hands show too much weapon's experience for someone who is merely an enthusiast." She glanced at Iemitsu "I'm guessing Leoko invited you to lunch at the café, right nii-sama?"

"I told you to stop saying that," said Iemitsu wearily, earning a sheepish look from Tsunade, "And yes, he did."

"Good," said Tsunade, "That means we'll all be there. Remember to support my false clues while observing their behaviors. I'll be mixing in a bit of my past too so that it'll be more credible."

"Don't get too close to him," warned Iemitsu, "You can never be sure what he's thinking because he's used to deception." "Plus," said Iemitsu, eyes softening a bit, "I would die if you got yourself hurt."

"You really are still my nii-sama deep inside," Tsunade said jokingly, "Oh it looks like we're at my next class already." Tsunade started walking into the classroom. "Bye Iemitsu-kun!"

Iemitsu watched her walk away with a sad smile on his face. "If only you knew, Tsunade," he said softly, "That my feelings for you aren't those a nii-sama would have."

**I appreciate all reviews for any of my chapters so please let me know if you have any suggestions! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

"Here's your coffee Rino-sama," said Tsunade as she served coffee to the customer. "Have a nice day."

She looked out the window and sighed. Tsunade had been filtering out voices for Reborn's so that she could ask for a break before he came in because she had a feeling that if Keiko found out she was taking a break to have lunch with Reborn, she would take it the wrong way and complicate matters. _It's just an information gathering meeting, _she thought, _not a date._

Finally, she heard Reborn's voice a few shops away from the café. Tsunade walked over to where Keiko was clearing away an empty table. "Um, Keiko-san," she asked, "May I take my lunch break now?"

Keiko flashed her usual bright smile and said teasingly, "Tell you what: I'll let you go on break if you call me Keiko-chan."

Tsunade could hear Reborn's voice getting closer. "Is that really necessary?"

"Say it just once and I'll let you go on break," said Keiko, her smile widening.

Tsunade could almost see Reborn out of the café window. "Fine," she said with a sigh, "May I please go on break Keiko-_chan_?"

Keiko grinned from ear to ear, "Sure Tsunade-chan! Why didn't you just say so?"

Tsunade rushed to the back of the store and took off her apron. _I don't know why Keiko-san is so insistent that I call her Keiko-chan. _She saw Reborn walk through the door with Leoko, Kureko (who was tackled to the floor by Keiko again) and Iemitsu, who had been hanging around the café anyway. _Well at least I got my break without Keiko-san misunderstanding._

It was at that moment that Reborn caught sight of Tsunade and waved, "Ah! Tsunade-chan! I thought you forgot that we were having lunch together today."

"Dammit," cursed Tsunade under her breath as realization dawned on Keiko's face and she looked with a mischievous glint inher eyes from Reborn to Tsunade.

"Ohhh," said Keiko loudly, "Now I know why Tsunade-chan was so eager to go on break!" She winked at Tsunade, who blushed. _Stop it, _Tsunade chided herself, _your acting like a 13-year old on her first date. Anyways, _she thought as she joined the others at a table, _who gave him permission to call me Tsunade-chan?_

"Iemitsu-kun, Tsunade-chan, it's so great of you guys to join us for lunch today," said Leoko, leaning back in his chair. Tsunade twitched. _They've only known us for a day, and yet they're addressing us as close friends, _she thought, _they must really want information._

"The pleasure is all ours, Leoko-kun," said Iemitsu smoothly, matching his conversation style with theirs.

The group ordered and began to relax around each other. _This is a perfect time to start getting information,_ thought Reborn. "So Tsunade-chan," he said, "You still owe me a little bit about yourself."

Tsunade grinned; _Time to give some hints pointing the wrong way. _"Well Reborn-kun," she said, "I was born in Osaka 19 years ago. I lived with my mom, dad, and identical twin brother. My parents were chemists who worked for a chemical company that developed special drugs."

_That explains how the "Black Hunter" has special bullets that tranquilize rather than kill. He must have learned that from their parents, _thought Reborn.

"My brother and I were rigorously trained in martial arts and other fighting techniques. We were a strong pair, slowly earning a reputation as the greatest sibling team in Osaka. However," said Tsunade with a sad look in her eyes, "one day, I caught a bad cold and couldn't go with my parents and my brother to his _kendo _competition. On the way back, their car was crushed by an eighteen wheeler." Her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh there, there," said Leoko in a soothing voice. He walked over and began massaging Tsunade's shoulders.

_I know he's only doing this so that she'll tell us more about her brother, _thought Reborn as he watched Leoko comfort Tsunade, _so why do I feel irritated?_

Reborn wasn't the only one who felt annoyed, _If he doesn't get her hands off of her, _thought Iemitsu with a dangerous glint in his eyes, _I'm going to pry them off and toss them, along with the rest of him, out of the window._

Tsunade hid a smile as tears streamed down her face. _These idiots, _she thought. She sniffed and gently placed a hand on Leoko's hand, which made more than one person at the table bristle. "Thank you, Leoko-kun," she said, "I'm sorry, it's just it still hurts when I think about it. My brother was a huge believer in fate, and I guess his death was just part of it."

Reborn, who still wasn't sure why he felt annoyed, smirked. _Another part of the puzzle is revealed, _he thought smugly, _His belief in fate, his upbringing as a fighting genius, it fits the persona of the Hunter perfectly._

Iemitsu watched Reborn's expression change slightly. _Oh he's good, _Iemitsu thought as Tsunade continued talking about her brother's belief in fate, _But not good enough to not be read by a highly trained Interpol agent. Tsunade isn't telling a single lie, yet they're slowly believing what she wants them to. You've come a long way, Tsunade. _He turned to look at her convincing performance. _That's one of the reasons I… _Iemitsu shook his head. _No, I have to concentrate. I have to help Tsunade complete her deception and soon, her brother's true fate._

"After their death, I was adopted by a single relative that lived nearby," said Tsunade, "That's when I met Iemitsu-kun, who became my adopted brother—for a while."

"For a while?" asked Kureko.

"Yeah, I broke the adoption contract after I turned 18," said Iemitsu, "My dad left to go 'mining' **(Lol sound familiar? XD) **when I was young and left my mom with me alone. When she died, I was adopted by Tsunade's same adopter."

"Although he's not my nii-sama by name anymore," Tsunade said while glaring defiantly at Iemitsu, "he'll always be my nii-sama deep inside."

Reborn saw Iemitsu flinch at Tsunade's words. _Ah, _thought Reborn, _So he left her family because his feelings passed the boundary between brother and sister. _He smiled. _Such a shame._

Tsunade got up with a sigh, "Well, I have to get back to work," she said reluctantly, "It was nice meeting you Leoko-kun, Kureko-kun." She smirked at Reborn. "Reborn-kun." Tsunade walked to the back of the café to get ready for the rest of her shift.

"I've got to go too," said Iemitsu, "I have to get ready for my Computer Infiltration class."

"Oh? You're majoring in Law Enforcement with Tsunade-chan?" asked Reborn.

"Not exactly," said Iemitsu as he gathered his stuff, "Same major, different fields. She's working to be more of a field agent and I'm better with the fancy deskwork." He walked out of the café, the door closing behind him with a 'ding'.

"I can't believe it," said Kureko, shaking his head, "You actually might be right about her dead brother being the Hunter."

"Yeah, said Leoko, "Everything just fits perfectly."

"That's why we will resume operations tomorrow," said Reborn, leaning back in his chair with a smug smile, "I'll attend the tradeoff and see if I'm able to confront the 'Black Hunter' with this new information."

"It's a shame to let such a pretty girl go to waste," said Leoko, staring at Tsunade who had resumed her duties as a barista, "Maybe I could have some fun with her—"

"No," said Reborn sharply, shocking not only Leoko and Kureko, but himself too. He shook his head, "I'm sorry, Leoko-kun," said Reborn, "I don't know why I reacted that way. It's just that since you tend to play around, we might end up losing her trust."

As Leoko and Kureko agreed to his logic, Reborn found his gaze resting on Tsunade. _Why did I react that way, _Reborn wondered, _Why did I disagree so strongly to Leoko? I never disapproved of Leoko's ways in the past. Maybe it's just because I don't want to lose such an important source of information on the man ruining my company. I couldn't care less about the person herself._

_Right?_


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter was waaaayyyy too long, so I divided it into two, separate documents. .**

**The second part of this chapter (5.5) will be up soon.**

**Reviews please! I appreciate it! ^-^**

Reborn walked on the sidewalk in the cool evening Tokyo air, trying to organize his thoughts.

_Why did I care so much about Tsunade's feelings? _he thought, frustrated, _Leoko has always been good at getting information out of girls, and I never cared even a bit as to what happened to the informants after we were done with them. So why is Tsunade different?_

He took a deep breath. _Calm down Reborn, _he scolded himself, _this enemy is far more powerful than the others have been in the past. You're overthinking this. You just don't want to lose your only lead on this guy, that's all._

Reborn stopped in front of a shooting range and walked inside, where he was greeted by a well-built man with a warm smile.

"Ah! Reborn-kun!" said the man, rigorously shaking Reborn's hand, "You haven't come over to the range in a long time!"

Reborn chuckled and said, "Yeah, I know, Akai-kun. I've been pretty busy with my studies."

Akai let out a loud laugh, "Ha! Still pursuing a mathematics major, I see! With your skill with weapons, I think that you'll be better off in Law Enforcement."

_I, head of a major criminal organization, major in Law Enforcement?_ Reborn thought incredulously with a grin, _Oh the sweet, sweet irony_. "The pressure's getting tough," said Reborn, "That's why I want to release some stress with the Black Diamond Shooting Course."

"The one where the models shoot _real _bullets?" said Akai, his smile widening, "I think you were the only one who could get through the whole course without a single injury—until two hours ago, at least."

Reborn frowned. "Two hours ago?" he asked with a confused look.

"Yeah!" said Akai excitedly, "A girl came in the range two hours ago and immediately asked to try the Black Diamond Course. I tried to convince her not to go, but she was very insistent, so I relented. After we got the fancy paperwork out of the way, she went in and came out thirty minutes later without a scratch!"

Reborn stared at Akai skeptically, "Is this some sort of joke?" he asked.

Akai shook his head. "No! Not at all!" he exclaimed, "Why don't you see for yourself?" Akai turned on the monitor, revealing an extremely familiar brunette girl with honey-golden eyes who was preparing to reenter the course.

Reborn's mouth fell open, "Tsunade-chan?"

"Oh! You know her?" asked Akai, looking pleasantly surprised, "Well I guess I shouldn't be too surprised seeing that two people with amazing marksmanship know each other." He leaned in closer to the monitor. "Watch, she's about to start."

The computer counted down from three, and once the buzzer rang, starting the course, Tsunade shot off from the starting area like a rocket. She expertly weaved through the bullets that were filling the air, shooting the targets with almost supernatural precision. Tsunade flipped through the air and took down the machines that were shooting from above. She reloaded with frightening speed, and continued with her mass destruction.

Reborn stared in disbelief at the monitor as the red blips that symbolized the number of machines left disappeared from the screen at an astounding speed. _Such power and precision, _he thought. Reborn felt a sense of strong admiration and…something…else? He tried to shake off the feeling, but a trace of it still lingered. Instead, he turned back to the monitor. "Amazing," he said breathlessly.

Akai chuckled, "You haven't seen anything yet," he said mysteriously, "wait until she gets to the Boss Chamber."

Meanwhile, Tsunade had finished off the rest of the drones in the Main Chamber and was making her way to the Boss Chamber. _This course really offers a great chance to hone my skills, _she thought, adrenaline running through her veins. Tsunade grinned as the giant dome that represented the Boss Chamber came into sight. _The drones in this building actually use thermal detection technology to detect targets. This is going to be fun. _She sprinted into the building, taking out the other two guns she had with her.

_Four guns? _Reborn thought, confused, _what is she going to do with two extra guns? _His question was quickly answered as Tsunade met the first wave of boss drones. She jumped into the air, throwing two of her guns up while shooting with the other two. Then, she threw the other two into the air while catching and shooting with the other pair. She did it at such at fast speed that her hands became a blur, dodging the wave of bullets that came at her while returning double the fire.

Reborn was glued to the monitor, watching, shell-shocked. _That's absolutely insane, _he thought incredulously, _her technique is nearly flawless and causes such mass devastation with almost no damage to the user. _His admiration for her grew, along with the other feeling that he couldn't shake off. _I must be sick, _he thought.

Five minutes later, Tsunade crossed the finish line of the course. Akai shut off the monitor and turned to Reborn with a wide grin. "So?" said Akai, "What do you think?"

Reborn shook his head slowly. "That was…" he said, "absolutely crazy. She must've beaten my old record by a lot."

Akai chuckled. "Well she would have," he said, "If she hadn't left one drone alive."

Reborn froze. _One left alive? _"What?"

"For some reason, she always disarms one drone, but leaves it alive," said Akai, crossing his arms because he couldn't understand why either, "When I asked her about it, she said, 'Not everyone in a group wants to share the same fate.'"

Reborn hid a smile behind his hand. _Looks like there's still some information to be collected. _He turned to Akai, "Where's she now?"


	6. Chapter 5 (cont)

Tsunade sat in the break room, drying her hair. _There's nothing like a good shower after some vigorous exercise, _she thought. She felt a familiar presence near the door and barely had enough time to register who it was before the door opened. "Reborn-kun?" she said, startled, "What are you doing here?"

Reborn closed the door and smiled. "Well I was going to do the Black Diamond Course," he said, "but after seeing your performance, I doubt I could do better."

Tsunade looked at him suspiciously, _what is he trying to do here? _she wondered, _I can't quite figure out why he came to see me…unless he just wanted too. _She pushed the thought out of her head. _No, no, no that can't be it._

"What I don't understand though," said Reborn, "is why you left a drone alive when you could've easily destroyed it."

_Ah. That's why he's here, _thought Tsunade, _I knew he wouldn't have come here unless he thought he could gain more information. Even so, _she thought as she began formulating a response that would lead Reborn the wrong way, _why do I feel disappointed?_

"Well you see," began Tsunade, "my brother had been a huge believer in fate. He believed that everyone was destined to do something great. However, he also believed that in a group, not everyone wanted to share the same fate. Because of that, he tried to help people change their fate, to give him a second chance. That's why I left a drone alive as a tribute to my brother's belief that some people just needed a second chance."

_Another puzzle piece falls into place, _thought Reborn slyly.

Tsunade sighed and got up. "I have to go now if I'm going to make it back to my apartment soon."

Reborn frowned. "Wait, you're walking home?" he asked, "That seems pretty dangerous and time-consuming."

"Nah, my apartment's only 20 minutes away from here," said Tsunade, "I'm staying at the Highland Apartments at Tokyo University."

"What a coincidence," exclaimed Reborn, "I live there too! Are you, by chance, the new neighbor that moved in next door?"

Tsunade stared in shock. _When Iemitsu-kun told me that my apartment location was very convenient for our mission, I wouldn't have ever imagined that this is what he meant. _"Wow," she said, "I guess I am."

"Well then, since I'm heading the same way," said Reborn, "why don't I give you a ride home?"

_I don't know what angle he's playing at, _thought Tsunade, _but I would like a ride home rather than walking. _She smiled at Reborn and replied, "Sure! I would appreciate that. I'll meet you in the parking lot in 5 minutes."

_What angle __am__ I playing at, _thought Reborn as he leaned against his motorcycle, waiting, _why did I offer her a ride? It's true that I don't want to lose her as a source of information, but it seems like that she can take care of herself well enough. Do I want to protect her for different reason? _

Before Reborn could deny that thought, Tsunade walked out of the range and over to where he was. "Hey," she said with a bright smile, "let's go."

Reborn set himself on the motorcycle and Tsunade situated herself behind him. It wasn't until she sat down that she realized she didn't know what to do with her hands. _Dammit, _she thought, _I put myself in a real awkward position. Where do I place my hands?_

Then, she heard Reborn chuckle. "Here," he said amused. He reached back and placed Tsunade's arms around his waist. She felt a surge of warmth. _That's strange, _Tsunade thought as they exited the parking lot, _I suddenly felt warm when Reborn touched my arm. Is it because he was so close? Even so, why did I feel warm? _She shook her head. _I must be sick._

"Are you TRYING to get us killed?!" shouted Tsunade.

Reborn simply laughed as he continued to weave through the traffic at a speed that was barely legal.

_What have I gotten myself into, _she thought, _this guy is going to end up killing the 'Black Hunter' without even knowing it! _She looked up at Reborn, who had an almost maniacal grin on his face. Her eyes softened. _He looks like he's having the time of his life though. He actually looks…kinda cute. _She pushed the thoughts out of her head. _Too bad I'm only using him for the information._

Reborn grinned widely as he made a steep turn. He heard Tsunade squeak with terror and he laughed. _She's willing to go into a field where her life is constantly at risk, yet she's absolutely terrified to go fast on a motorcycle. What a joke. _Reborn looked back at Tsunade, who was shutting her eyes tightly. He chuckled and let his guard down for just a second. _She looks so adorable right now. I just want to…_ He shook his head. _Snap out of it Reborn, _he chided himself, _you're only using her for information._

They finally pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex. Tsunade stumbled off the motorcycle and took a deep breath. "We're still in one piece?" she said in disbelief, "Impossible." Reborn smirked and they both began walking to their apartments upstairs.

Once they arrived in front of Tsunade's apartment, Reborn took out his cellphone and said, "We should exchange phone numbers. That way, you won't have to walk home from the range every day."

Tsunade chuckled. "I'm not sure if I'm at greater risk walking home at night or riding on a motorcycle with you." Despite what she said, they traded numbers anyway. Tsunade opened the door to her apartment. "Good night, Reborn-kun."

Reborn smiled and waved, "Good night, Tsunade-chan."

Tsunade closed the door and called Iemitsu. "Tsunade-chan?" said Iemitsu anxiously, "Where were you? I tried calling you several times but you wouldn't pick up."

"Calm down nii—I mean—Iemitsu-kun," said Tsunade, amused, "I was just out on the gun range and came home a little late."

"Oh. Ok then," said Iemitsu, "Well I need to tell you that our sources say that there's going to be another trade-off tomorrow night at 10 pm."

Tsunade froze. "Already?" she said incredulously, "I thought they planned to pause all operations for the week."

"It seems that Reborn's getting cocky," said Iemitsu, "Reports show that he himself will be at the tradeoff too."

"The boss at a mere operation? He must really want to catch the 'Black Hunter' by himself," said Tsunade.

"Do you still want to go?" said Iemitsu, worried, "It'll be a huge problem if you got captured."

"Don't worry!" said Tsunade confidently, "Reborn thinks he knows my ways so well from the information I've been giving him. But I still have some tricks up my sleeve. Send me the information regarding the trade-off."

"O-k then," said Iemitsu reluctantly, "Good night Tsunade-chan."

"Good night!" Tsunade hung up and walked into the room where her keyboard was.

She sighed and sat down at the keyboard. _There's so much going on, _she thought, _maybe I'll just play one song to clear my mind. _Tsunade laid her hands on the keyboard and began to play.

Tsunade played the final chord and placed her hands in her lap. _Music really is medicine for the soul, _she thought contently. Her phone vibrated. _Ah. That must be the information that I asked nii-sama to send over._ She flipped her phone open and saw that she had actually had two messages. One was from Iemitsu; the other was from—_Reborn-kun? _She stared at the message for a few seconds before opening it.

**Beethoven's ninth symphony? Nice! I never knew you played, but you play well!**

Tsunade smiled and moved to delete it because she had to keep her phone for business only, but as her thumb hovered over the button, she realized she couldn't bring herself to delete it.

_Why can't I delete a simple message? _She thought as she slowly slumped against the wall, _is it because it's from an important target? But even so, it doesn't give me any information. So…why? Why do I feel this way?_

Tsunade had played a song to calm her thoughts, but it only threw her into a whirlwind of confusion.


	7. Chapter 6

Tsunade rubbed her eyes and sat up groggily. _I'm so tired, _she thought, _I went to sleep really late last night because my mind was so preoccupied. _She looked over at her cellphone, still flipped open, on the nightstand. Tsunade reached over and picked it up, rereading Reborn's message for the hundredth time. _I still don't understand why I can't delete such a small message. _She stared at the message for a while before her eyes caught sight of the time on the edge of the screen. "Wah! I'm gonna be late!" she shouted as she jumped out bed. _I must've overslept! _She thought, panicked, _Usually, I leave enough time for me to walk to the campus, but it's too late now! How am I going to get to class now?! Unless…_ Tsunade flipped open her cellphone and dialed. "Reborn-kun?" she said, "I need to ask you for a little favor…"

….

Thirty minutes later, Tsunade, now completely ready, opened the door of her apartment and almost ran into Reborn, who was just about to knock. "Good morning Tsunade-chan," he said with a smirk, "Oversleep?"

Tsunade flushed pink. _It's just a question, _she scolded herself, _why are you blushing? _"Yeah," she replied, "I usually leave enough time to walk to the campus, but it's too late now."

Reborn chuckled. "And you decided to ask me for a ride?"

Tsunade sighed and said, "Well I figured that I was going to die anyway if I'm late, so I really don't have anything to lose."

Reborn shrugged and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Let's go then," he said, grinning, "You don't want me going faster in order to get there on time."

Tsunade shuddered. "Yep, certainly don't want that." She closed the door and followed him to the parking lot.

….

"We're not even close to being late, so why are you going so fast?!" Tsunade screamed. _I can't believe I got myself into this mess again! _She thought, absolutely terrified.

Reborn laughed and said, "You should know that when I'm driving, there's no such thing as 'too fast'!"

He revved the engine and went even faster, earning a few choice words from motorists and pedestrians alike. Reborn looked over his shoulder for a split second and almost burst into uncontrollable laughter at the sight of Tsunade's face. _There's that look of fright I was aiming for, _he thought, turning his attention back to road. He made a sharp turn at an intersection and felt Tsunade squeeze a bit tighter. Reborn's heart skipped a beat. _Why did I react like that, _he thought, blood rushing to his face, _I'm so glad Tsunade can't see my face right now._

He turned into the campus and slowed down, hearing Tsunade sigh in relief behind him. Reborn drove around for a bit until he saw the spot where Iemitsu, who looked less than happy to see Tsunade holding on to Reborn, Leoko, Keiko, and Kureko were waiting. He parked the motorcycle and helped Tsunade off.

"I really don't know why I chose to get a ride from you," said Tsunade breathlessly, "Or why I didn't write a will before leaving."

Reborn chuckled and said, "Well you got to the campus alive, and with several minutes to spare."

Tsunade laughed and began walking to where Iemitsu was waiting impatiently. "I guess I did. See you later, Reborn-kun."

"See you, Tsunade-chan," said Reborn with a smile. He turned around and walked to where Leoko, Keiko, and Kureko **(Lol just realized all their names end with –ko) **were standing with knowing smirks.

….

"Why were you on a motorcycle hugging Reborn?" demanded Iemitsu.

Tsunade flushed dark pink. "I wasn't hugging him," she said defensively, "I overslept and needed a ride, so I asked Reborn. Unfortunately, his driving skills aren't human and I was holding on for dear life!"

"You could've just called me!" yelled Iemitsu.

Tsunade couldn't understand why Iemitsu was so angry. "Your apartment is in the complete opposite direction of mine," she said, confused, "I didn't want you to go so far just because I was scared of being late."

Iemitsu's eyes softened and sighed. "I would've done it for you," he said softly.

Still confused, she looked over her shoulder to where Reborn was talking with the others. Their eyes met and Reborn winked and grinned at her. She felt her heart flutter. _Why am I reacting this way? _She thought, _has something changed between us in the short time we have known each other? I wonder…_

….

Reborn turned his attention back to his friends and saw them smirking at him. "What?" he asked.

Leoko snickered and draped an arm over Reborn's shoulder. "Now I see why you didn't want me to get close to Tsunade-chan," said Leoko, "You wanted her all to yourself."

Reborn blushed and was about to deny it when Leoko leaned closer and whispered, "It was a great idea getting close to her. Since I'm untrustworthy, she'll confide more information to you!"

_That's right, _thought Reborn, _if I become someone she relies on, I'll be able to get more information regarding the Hunter so I can save my business. Even so, why do I feel so guilty?_

Keiko squealed. "I'm sooo happy you two are getting together!" she exclaimed.

"We're not dati—"began Reborn, but Keiko cut him off excitedly.

"I know! We should invite Tsunade-chan and Iemitsu-kun with us to Hokkaido after finals week! She can share a room with me and Iemitsu can share with Leoko!"

"Yeah!" Kureko said, "It'll be a great—_bonding experience." _ He winked at Reborn.

Reborn sighed. _There's no point in arguing with them. _"Fine," he relented, "I'll ask her later. Let's just get to class."

….

As they went their separate ways, Keiko leaned in close to Kureko and whispered, "You know, I could've just asked Tsunade when she came to work today."

Kureko watched as Reborn walked away. _Both he and Leoko had disapproved when I asked Keiko out, _he thought, _but I knew that the company wouldn't be my life forever. I knew I would need to find something that would give me happiness. _He looked at Keiko lovingly and pulled her closer to him. _And I found it. _"Maybe he wants Tsunade to go with him more than he lets on," Kureko said thoughtfully. _It looks like you're on your way to finding something that matters to you, Reborn. Try not to lose her._


	8. Chapter 7

_I've gotten myself into a horrible situation, _thought Tsunade as she walked from her last class to the shooting range.

As an Interpol agent, her life always had been in danger. Whether it was a risky infiltration of a foreign threat, or holding her tongue during a violent interrogation, Tsunade had always managed to pull through. She had been beaten, bruised, threatened, and even shot, yet she always finished her missions quickly. However, this time, she had accidently fallen into the most dangerous trap of all.

She was in love with the enemy.

_No, no, no! _she shook her head vigorously, _I can't admit that yet! How do I know it's not just a passing attraction? All these criminal bosses have charm, after all. _But as much as Tsunade tried to deny it, she had to admit that she had never felt this way about anyone before. No matter how hard she tried to shake off the feeling, it still lingered.

….

During work earlier, she had found herself constantly glancing out of the window, looking for something. After a while, she heard Keiko giggling behind her. "_What?" _she said confused. Keiko burst out laughing at that moment and said, "_Reborn-kun is studying for finals so that he won't be coming here today. You can stop checking all the time!" _Tsunade blushed deeply. _"I'm not looking for Reborn-kun," _she muttered. Although she had denied it, she still felt a disappointed sinking feeling in her chest when she heard Reborn wasn't coming. _Is it true that I was looking for him subconsciously? _She wondered, _am I really…falling for him?_

…

Tsunade let out a frustrated sigh. _I really am hopeless, _she thought. She went into the shooting range.

"Tsunade-chan!" said Akai as he warmly embraced her.

_Seriously, does no one around here have respect for proper honorifics? _thought Tsunade as she carefully extracted herself from Akai's embrace. _Oh well. _"Hello Akai-kun, I'm here to try the Black Diamond Course again."

Akai laughed loudly. "Try?" he said incredulously, "You mean completely dominate again, right? You're not the only one with that idea."

Tsunade gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Go to the break room to drop off your stuff and you'll see what I mean," Akai said mysteriously.

Tsunade shrugged and went to the break room. She was about to go in when she felt a familiar presence behind the door that made her freeze. She slowly pushed it open and her heart leapt.

"Hello Tsunade-chan," said Reborn, who was sitting with his legs propped up on the table.

Tsunade stared for a moment, trying to calm her racing heart. _Tsunade, you are pathetic, _she chided herself, _calm yourself and act normal! _"Hey Reborn-kun," she said breathlessly, "What are you doing here? I thought you were studying for your finals."

"Well I was," said Reborn lazily, "but I got bored and decided I needed to blow off some steam. So I came here. Are you, by chance, going on the Black Diamond Course?"

"Yeah, I was just dropping off my stuff," said Tsunade.

"What a coincidence! I was going on it too!" exclaimed Reborn, "I have an idea! How about we go on it together! I bet we could finish the course in half the time!"

Tsunade's heart began to beat faster again._ Together? Like, just the two of us? _"Yeah! Sure!" she replied.

Reborn grinned and got up. "Ok then!" he said, heading out of the door, "I'll tell Akai-kun." The door closed behind him.

Tsunade let out a shaky sigh and sat down. _Reborn is still acting like he usually does. I guess it's just me with these jumbled feelings, _she thought sadly.

…

Reborn heard the door close behind him and almost collapsed in relief. _I'm so glad that was over, _he thought. He had tried to act as normal as he could around Tsunade, but it was a lot harder than anything he had ever done before. _For once in my life, I have no idea what to do, _thought Reborn, emotions whirling around his head, _I have shaken hands with some of the most dangerous criminals known to man, but it's this one girl that makes me a mess._

_Is it true that I'm…in…_

_love? _

Reborn tried to deny it, but he found that he couldn't completely get rid of the thought. Instead, he pushed it to the back of his mind and went to ask Akai to prepare the course for two.

…

Akai viewed the both of them through his monitor. Tsunade and Reborn were stretching and warming up at the starting line, checking their guns repeatedly. Akai was almost bursting with excitement. _This is going to be the greatest shoot-off of all time, _he thought enthusiastically.

….

In the course, the computer was starting to count down. Tsunade shot a glance at Reborn and was relieved to see that he was nervous too. Before they went in, they had decided that Tsunade would take the lead and shoot as many drones as she could at her top speed. Reborn would be only a few feet behind her and shoot any ones that she had to skip. _Don't take all the fun! _Reborn had said with a grin, almost making Tsunade blush again. _I hope I don't screw up, _thought Tsunade grimly.

The buzzer sounded and both of them shot off from the starting line. Tsunade took the lead at an astounding speed, running nearly twice as fast as she had yesterday. She pulled out her guns and began to take down the drones, careful not to sacrifice speed for quantity because she knew Reborn would get the ones she skipped. Tsunade evasively weaved through the bullets and quickly reloaded. _So far so good, _she thought. She dropped the empty gun cartridge and sprinted off.

…...

_Damn she's fast_, thought Reborn as he shot the few targets Tsunade missed_, even I'm having trouble keeping up with her, and I'm supposed to be several feet behind. What's more unbelievable is that she can still shoot so many targets with such precision! _He looked at her for a moment and found himself admiring the way her body twisted in the air, the way her slender fingers expertly handled her guns, the way her honey golden eyes seemed to sparkle and the way her soft pale lips were curled into a hint of a smile. Then, Reborn swore as he realized he nearly missed a target and quickly turned to shoot it down. "I can't be thinking these thoughts right now!" he growled to himself, his voice drowned out by the shots ringing through the air. "I have to focus!"

…

They continued to obliterate the targets, quickly reaching the Boss Chamber. Once they were there, with Tsunade's special four gun handling skill, they took down the Boss Drones at an even faster pace. _We're making really good time! _Tsunade thought as she took down the last of the drones, _it has barely been 15 minutes and we're already almost done! _She was starting to head for the finish line when her blood ran cold. Tsunade whipped her head around and saw Reborn reloading so he could shoot the last drone she had missed—but it wasn't shooting back. _The drone I disarmed! _she thought, panic setting in. _I forgot to tell him about the tribute to my brother! _Time seemed to slow down as Reborn took aim. Years of habit and pain overcame instinct, and Tsunade jumped into Reborn's line of fire. He shot, and watched in horror as the bullet sank into Tsunade's shoulder. She slumped to the ground, clutching the wound. _Damn! _she thought through the pain that was slowly seeping in, _what've I done?_


	9. Chapter 8

**I was **_**extremely **_**tempted to separate this chapter into like, three, since it was so freaking long, but I decided that the resulting chapters would be too short and add too many excess documents.**

**So I'm sorry you have to stare at the screen for so long . but bear with me, k?**

**Thanks for reading!**

_No! _thought Reborn in horror as he stared at Tsunade slumped on the floor, clutching her blood-stained shoulder. _What have I done? I was shooting the last target when she jumped into the bullet's path and— _a sudden realization hit him as if it were he that was shot. _Her brother's tribute! That's why it was disarmed! She left it there on purpose! _He rushed over to Tsunade and picked her up carefully. "Hang in there Tsunade!" he shouted. Reborn sprinted out of the course.

Tsunade, luckily, was still conscious, although the pain was starting to affect her thinking. _I've been through worse, _thought Tsunade, _but no matter how much I get injured, the pain still is overwhelming each time. _She felt Reborn put her down in the break room. "It's only a minor wound," said Tsunade, trying to hide the pain from her voice as best as she could, "If you get a first-aid kit and some tweezers, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" asked Reborn, worried and on the edge of panic, "You probably need to go to the hospital. I'll go call an ambulance."

"No." said Tsunade sharply, shocking Reborn. She sighed and looked at him apologetically. "Sorry Reborn-kun, but I think I'll be fine if you just get me a first-aid kit. The wound isn't that deep."

"Oh ok," said Reborn, terribly confused, "I'll go ask Akai-kun for one."

Reborn ran out of the door and Tsunade heaved a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness I convinced him not to call an ambulance. _She thought, _if they saw my blood, then I wouldn't be able to continue in my job._

…_._

_I have never felt so panicked in my life, _thought Reborn as he frantically looked for the first-aid kit that Akai had said was in the backroom. _ So many people have been shot and even died in front of my eyes, and I always walked away with little or no concern. But when Tsunade got shot, I felt as if my world would end. I already know that this feeling has already passed merely wanting to protect an informant, but what is it now? _He finally spotted the first-aid kit wedged in the corner of the very back shelf. _I have no time to deal with these thoughts right now! _he thought angrily as he yanked the first-aid kit off the shelf and rushed out of the room.

…

Reborn burst into the break room. "Tsunade-chan! I got the first aid kit!" he yelled. Tsunade looked up and smiled weakly. "Thanks Reborn-kun," she said through her growing pain, "Leave it there and I'll—"

"No, Tsunade," said Reborn. Tsunade stared at him in shock.

"You're obviously in too much pain to treat yourself," said Reborn firmly, "I'll treat it for you."

Tsunade broke into a cold sweat. _No, no, no! _she thought, alarmed, _I can't have him see my blood! It would reveal too much about my identity, my secret! _"It's ok, Reborn-kun," she said, panicked, "I'm fine, I'll be able to handle it."

She expected Reborn to give in, but instead, he leaned closer and said softly, "Please Tsunade-chan."

Tsunade looked into his black eyes and saw them filled with guilt and sadness. _He blames himself for my injury, _she realized. Her resolve shattered, as if something inside of her couldn't bear seeing Reborn like this, seeing him sad because of her. Reluctantly, she rolled up her sleeve, exposing her wound. She heard Reborn gasp in shock. _Of course he would be shocked, _she thought sadly, _no one else has blood that's slowly turning black._

…_..._

Reborn stared at Tsunade's wound._ Her blood, it's nearly black, _he thought in disbelief, _is this why she didn't want to go to the hospital? _Then, he heard Tsunade let out a little hiss of pain. _Right! _thought Reborn, snapping out of his daze, _I have to take out the bullet! _He carefully took the tweezers and took out the bullet which, thankfully, wasn't embedded deeply in her arm. Tsunade clenched her fist, and then unclenched it with a sigh of relief. As Reborn put down the bloodied bullet and started to disinfect the wound, Tsunade let out a long, sad sigh.

"I guess I'll have to tell you the truth now," she said desolately.

Reborn looked at her with a shocked and confused look. "The truth?"

"Yes, the truth about four years ago," said Tsunade, her mind already wandering into the past, "The truth about my bloodline. The truth about my brother's death."

…

"As you can probably tell, my family line isn't normal. Our blood is specially designed to fulfill our fate. No two people have the same fate, even if they are born together, like my brother and I were. If we don't complete our fate, our blood would ultimately kill us. Usually, this isn't a problem, since our lives follow the course fate sets out. However, on that fateful day four years ago, I inadvertently changed my fate by doing the impossible: I cheated death. The kendo match that my brother and my parents died trying to reach wasn't my brother's competition. It was mine. The competition was the highest competition I had ever reached, and yet I was unfortunate enough to get sick on that day. I had begged and pleaded to go, endlessly badgering my parents to take me any way, and they would've—if it weren't for my brother. He insisted that he go in my place, since we looked so much alike. Behind all the equipment, it would be impossible to tell the difference." Tears streamed down Tsunade's face. "A—and I agreed to it! I was so caught up in myself that I never took my brother into consideration! All I wanted to do win, and my brother died because of me. Before they left, my brother came up to me with a sad smile and said, 'Tsunade-chan, listen to me. You must try your hardest to preserve your life. It won't be easy completing your fate, but you must try, try as hard as you can. You must do it for yourself, so that you will live.' After that, he died in my place, taking my fated end. Because of this, our fates were switched, something that has never happened in our families many generations. My refined senses are a result of my body changing to adjust to my new life, to let me live. But my blood is turning darker, showing me that my time is slowly running out. The more I work, the more I get hurt, the faster my blood cells change," she began to choke up, "I-I'm trying my hardest, b-but it's just so difficult. A-and my b-brother's last words, it's as if he knew he was going to die."

Tsunade could no longer hold back her sobs. As she cried, she felt Reborn tighten the bandage around her shoulder and lay his hand gently on her arm.

"You shouldn't cry," he said softly, "Your brother wouldn't have wanted to see you this way. He gave you life because he believed you could live it well, live it happily. Besides," he added in an even softer voice, "it hurts me to see you cry."

Tsunade's sobs subsided. She looked up at Reborn and realized that their faces were awfully close, their noses almost touching. Both of them blushed and Reborn stood up abruptly. "I-I'm going to return the first aid kit to Akai," he said, flustered. He went out of the door, leaving Tsunade alone with her scrambled thoughts.

….

_Why did I tell him that? _she thought, _it goes against everything I've said before. This information might lead him to dig deeper, uncovering my lies and my true identity. _She touched her cleanly bandaged shoulder. _But, _Tsunade thought in surprise, _it felt right to tell him. _Tsunade looked up at the ceiling. _That fateful day, my brother also told me something else: 'But Tsunade, if you happen to find someone who you're willing to through everything for, take the chance, because love is the only force fate can't change.' Did you know this was going to happen, Tsunayoshi-nii sama? Did you know I would meet and fall for someone I could never be with?_

…

Reborn leaned against the door. _The information she gave me doesn't add up, _he thought, _if her brother is the Black Hunter, then why is her blood changing? Although her brother is the main suspect, this information could reveal some important key points that will bring me closer to the Hunter. So why, _Reborn thought as he stared at the ground, _have I already decided to keep this to myself? I just couldn't stand seeing her so sad, blaming herself for her brother's death. It seems that in just a few days, she already means so much to me. _

…

Tsunade buried her head in her hands and Reborn slumped to the ground, one thought going through both their minds: _What's happening to me?_


	10. Chapter 9

_**Ahhhh! Another super long chapter! Gosh, sorry guys, I just have been cramming more and more details and making the chapters longer and longer . I'll try to get over this annoying habit of mine so you won't have to strain your eyes and stare for like, 15 minutes.**_

_**Good news is that I finally figured out how to separate sections to prevent confusion,(yeah, I'm pretty slow) though I won't re-upload the other chapters (too lazy, sorry) I'll be separating sections in all my future chapters.**_

* * *

**10:00 pm**

**All-Highton Hotel**

Reborn absentmindedly sipped at a glass of wine, ignoring the glances and gossip he was attracting from the rich women in the room. His mind kept wandering to earlier that day, when Tsunade had revealed her deeply-buried secrets to him. _Although the information could be extremely important, _he thought, leaning back in his seat, _I still haven't told anyone yet. I just can't bring myself to reveal her secret that causes her so much pain. _He hid his eyes in the shadow of his fedora so no one could see them soften. _And I can't bear to see her hurt in anyway._

A waiter accidently bumped into Reborn, startling him out of his daze. The waiter muttered an apology and took Reborn's empty glass. _Right_, thought Reborn, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind to deal with later, _I'm here to assist the trade off, not to fawn over a girl like some love-struck 13 year old!_

He analyzed his surroundings. The client chose to meet at an extravagant gathering with many wealthy families. After receiving the signal, Reborn and his men would slowly filter out of the main ballroom and meet on the roof for the actual tradeoff. _It's been a while since I've attended a tradeoff in person, _thought Reborn nostalgically. He noticed two women staring at him and he winked at them, causing them to dissolve in a fit of giggles. _What a joke, _thought Reborn with a smirk, _losing their composure with a small gesture. _His smirk was quickly replaced with a blush as he remembered his own reactions to Tsunade's smile.

A glint in the corner of the room caught his eye. Someone's watch was reflecting the light of the chandeliers above. _Ah, the signal, _thought Reborn, slowly getting up and casually leaving the room. _Finally, it's time for the fun to begin._

* * *

Reborn felt the cool air hit his face as he opened the door and stepped onto the roof. _Everything seems to be in place, _he thought. As he walked up the stairs, he had checked to make sure his subordinates, dressed as the other rich people at the gathering, were spaced around the only stairwell leading to the roof. On the outside, special sensors and security cameras that could detect even the smallest movement on the walls, making it impossible to even pass near the building without being noticed. If there was any sign of violence or struggling, Reborn would immediately notified and would take the client and the weapon through a secret exit.

He walked up to the client, a pale, nervous middle-aged man with black hair that was slowly transitioning into gray, and flashed a charming style. "Good evening, Mr. Watashi," said Reborn smoothly, "I understand we have some business to take care of."

Watashi fidgeted, looking around anxiously. "Yes, yes," he said nervously, "I have the money. Are you sure you won't be foiled again by the Hunter?"

Normally, Reborn would've bristled at the name of the cursed Hunter, but this time, he felt surprisingly calm and—resigned? _No, no, no! _thought Reborn, _I can't admit defeat yet! _"I assure you," he said calmly, suppressing his doubt, "we'll get the transaction over in no—"

Just as Reborn said those words, a bullet came out of nowhere and hit Mr. Watashi in the head. Reborn froze in horror when he heard a computer generated voice chuckle in his ear piece.

"Don't worry," said the mysterious voice, "he's not dead. I merely knocked him out with a special bullet of mine. He'll wake up in a few hours with a pretty bad headache, but otherwise unharmed."

"Who are you?!" demanded Reborn, nearly shouting into his mouth piece.

"Why, I'm your greatest threat," said the voice smugly, "the Black Hunter."

Reborn's heart beat faster. _He's here! _he thought, amazed, _he's here and he managed to get past my men. Wait, but if he's communicating through my headset, _Reborn thought, realization dawning on him, _then he is disguised as one of my men! _Reborn ran back to the staircase.

* * *

As he went from person to person, verifying their identities, he heard the voice chuckle again.

"I see you've discovered how I managed to disguise myself," the voice said mirthfully, "but can you find me? You brought so many of your men that it turned out to be a weakness."

Reborn gritted his teeth. _Dammit he's right, _he thought, frustrated, _at this rate, I'll never find him._

The voice sighed. "Sadly, I don't have time to keep on playing hide-and-seek," the voice said regretfully, "So I'll give you a hint: the end is only the beginning. I'll be waiting." Reborn heard a crunch, then the line went silent.

_He broke the headpiece! _thought Reborn angrily, _how am I supposed to find him now?! _Reborn stopped running to collect his thoughts. _Calm down, _he thought, taking deep breaths, _think! 'The end is only the beginning', what could that possibly mean? He could be taunting me by saying the end of this operation is only the start of many more, but that wouldn't reveal his location! It's as if he's saying the beginning is the—_

Reborn froze. _That's it! _he thought as he began running back the direction he came, _he's not saying the end is beginning, he's saying the beginning is where it ends! So if I'm correct, _he thought as he sped up the stairs back up to the roof, _the Hunter should be, _Reborn swung the door open and saw a figure clad in a suit and a red fedora, _right here!_

* * *

"Chaos," said Reborn triumphantly to the figure standing in the middle of the roof.

"Chaos, huh?" said the figure, tipping his red fedora in greeting, "Word on the street says that once you've heard the famous Renato's 'chaos', it'll be the last thing you'll ever hear." The figure smirked. "I guess I'll be the first one to hear it and live."

Reborn drew his gun and walked closer to the Hunter, "Not likely," he said, aiming.

The Hunter just laughed. "How are you going to shoot me if you don't have any bullets?" he said smugly.

_What? _Reborn checked his gun cartridge. _It's empty! _he realized, _when did he—_the answer hit Reborn as if he was struck by lightning. _The waiter! When the waiter—or should I say, the Hunter—bumped into me, he replaced the gun cartridge with an empty one. _Reborn looked at the smirking figure in grudging admiration. _He really is good._

"It was fun going up against such a formidable opponent," said the Hunter, "but I have to go. There's nothing else for me to do here."

"Wait!" shouted Reborn, "Why are you straying from your usual pattern? Don't you usually change the fate of the last one standing?"

The Black Hunter was silent for a moment, then he chuckled. "You're observation of my habits is impressive," he said, "Usually I would change someone's fate, but this time, our fates are entwined." He looked up, and Reborn saw a glimpse of the Hunter's bright green eyes. "Goodbye, Reborn Chaos. You can have your bullets back now."

All of a sudden, a shower of bullets seemed to fall out of the sky where the Hunter was standing. By the time the last bullet fell, the Hunter was gone, leaving only a black rose. Reborn picked up the rose and twirled it thoughtfully. "He's even better than I thought he was," said Reborn, voicing his thoughts aloud, "I learned little and found so many more questions to ask." _What did he mean by, 'Our fates are entwined'? Is it because of Tsunade? _Reborn shook his head and began walking back to the stairs.

* * *

Tsunade winced in pain and cursed as she sprinted away from the hotel. _My shoulder is causing me more pain than I thought, _she thought, clutching her shoulder, _the blood is slowing down my rate of recovery. If I get a fatal wound once my blood completely changes, I won't be able to heal at all. _She located her get-away car where Iemitsu was waiting and slipped into the car, greeting Iemitsu with a dip of her fedora.

"The operation was successful, I see," said Iemitsu, starting the car.

"Yeah, definitely," said Tsunade breathlessly, "Nice job disabling the sensors on the building and hacking into their communication feed."

"Well, I wouldn't be the top computer hacker the Interpol has if I couldn't handle such a simple task," said Iemitsu proudly.

Tsunade stared out the window at the sparkling lights of the Tokyo city line. _The thrill from finishing a mission never gets old, _she thought, content, _although this time, I feel something…different…as well. Is it because Reborn attended the trade-off this time? _she wondered, _but why would I feel different? And what is the feeling that's making me feel so different? _

She nearly jumped up, startled, as her phone vibrated. Tsunade picked it up and flipped it open, revealing that she received a message from…Reborn?

_Well speak of the devil, _she thought, smiling at the coincidental situation. She opened the message and read it:

**Hey Tsunade-chan, I meant to ask you this earlier at the gun range, but with you getting injured and all, I never had a chance. Anyways, Keiko wanted me to ask you** **if you and Iemitsu-kun wanted to go with us on a short, 2 day trip, to Hokkaido after finals. You can share a room with Keiko and Iemitsu can share with Leoko. Interested?**

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat as she read the message a second time. _A vacation with Reborn-kun and the others? _She had never been on an actual vacation before, having worked almost 24/7 being in the Interpol. _It would be an interesting experience, _she thought, _and since I can't see how any information may be revealed over the course of the two days, it should be mostly risk-free. And, _she thought, temporarily giving in to the thoughts she tried so hard to ignore, _Reborn will be there. _She blushed at the turn her thoughts took and returned hastily to her original reason to go, using it to cover up her jumbled up feelings.

"Hey, Iemitsu-kun," she said slowly, a happy grin spreading on her face, despite her attempts to suppress it, "what do you say to a few days in Hokkaido?"


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N This chapter took slightly longer to write since I needed to do a bit of research on the best and fastest way to get to Hokkaido, and since the keyboard of the laptop I type my stories on broke. I got my laptop fixed today and managed to finish the chapter. Sorry for the wait and enjoy!**

* * *

**One week later…**

"Ah, finals are finally over," said Iemitsu happily, "and it's time to go to Hokkaido for a relaxing vacation."

A cough wracked his body.

"And I'm sick."

Tsunade was flitting around Iemitsu's apartment, checking to make sure he had everything he needed. "Are you sure you'll be ok?" she asked him nervously for the thousandth time, "I can always call and say I can't go and stay to watch over you."

Iemitsu sighed. "Tsunade, it's already the day of the trip and reservations are already made," he said wearily, "it's unfortunate that I got a cold today of all days, but I'll be fine. So stop freaking out!"

Tsunade took a deep breath, calming herself down slightly. "I know, I know," she said reluctantly, "you can take care of yourself. But if you feel like there's something really wrong, don't hesitate to call me and I'll be on the first flight back to Tokyo."

"Ok then," said Iemitsu, unable to suppress a chuckle at Tsunade's overly worried face, "But trust me, you won't need to do that."

Tsunade's phone rang. She picked it up, said a few words, and then hung up with a sigh. "My taxi's here," she said, gathering her stuff from where it was hastily dropped in front of Iemitsu's bed. Tsunade leaned over and gave Iemitsu an affectionate kiss on his forehead. Iemitsu flushed a dark red color and Tsunade felt his temperature rise slightly.

"Oh no!" she said in a panicked tone, "Your temperature just went up! Maybe I really should—"

"GO!" shouted Iemitsu, exasperated.

Startled, Tsunade quickly waved goodbye and ran out of the door.

Iemitsu watched the door close behind her and gently touched his forehead where Tsunade's lips touched. _If you had stayed here with me, _he thought, _I don't think my temperature would ever go down._

* * *

Tsunade leaned against the window of the taxi and went over her plans in her head. She would meet Reborn and the others at Narita International Airport at 10:30 am for their flight at 11:30 to Sapporo. _Reborn…_ thought Tsunade wistfully, _just thinking of him makes my heart beat faster in anticipation. Is that normal? _**(A/N- The obliviousness, it burns XD) **

Due to finals, she hasn't seen much of the suit-and-fedora wearer since the last operation. Unbeknownst to her, being away from Reborn had a slight impact on her behavior, including constantly spacing out and messing with her phone as if she was waiting for something. Luckily, other than Iemitsu, no one else had noticed her sudden change.

Tsunade sighed. _I really need this vacation, _she thought.

* * *

"Tsunade-chan!" exclaimed Keiko as she ran up Tsunade and embraced her tightly, "Long time no see!"

_Now I know how Kureko feels, _thought Tsunade as she struggled to breathe, "Hey Keiko-chan," she said weakly, "It's nice to see you too."

Keiko finally released Tsunade from her embrace and allowed her to take in a few deep breaths before dragging her to the ticket counter. "You're just in time!" she said cheerfully, "We were all about to check in! Do you have any bags you need to check in?"

"Um, yeah!" said Tsunade, handing her suitcase to Keiko, "Thanks!"

As Keiko went to get the tickets and check in the bags, Tsunade walked over to where the others were waiting.

"Hello Kureko-kun," she said, waving, "Hi Leoko-kun," her heart fluttered a bit as she looked into a pair of obsidian black eyes, "Hey Reborn-kun."

"Tsunade-chan!" exclaimed Leoko, draping an arm over Tsunade's shoulder, "Long time no see!"

_Is it possible that Keiko and Leoko are secretly related? _thought Tsunade as she shifted uncomfortably under Leoko's arm.

"It's a shame that Iemitsu can't come," said Leoko sympathetically, "Now I'll be all alone in my room at night!" He hugged Tsunade closer, much to her dismay, "Unless, of course, a certain someone wants to stop by and—"

Reborn cleared his throat loudly, glaring daggers out of his eyes at Leoko.

Feeling Reborn's murderous intent, Leoko quickly withdrew his arm, "Kureko and I are going to check on Keiko's progress," he said, winking at Reborn before steering Kureko over to where Keiko was evidently arguing with the lady at the counter.

* * *

Tsunade shot Reborn a grateful look. "I'm not sure what you did, but thanks for getting him away from me," she said, "Leoko's a nice person and all, but he can sometimes get a little—too close."

"Tell me about it," muttered Reborn, eliciting a laugh from Tsunade. _Gosh, I've missed her laugh so much, _thought Reborn. He had missed Tsunade as much as she had missed him, though he wouldn't admit it just yet. Law Enforcement had a specialized final, so Tsunade had to miss the rest of her classes and work for the whole week. By the second day, Reborn had found himself staring into space constantly, missing Tsunade more than he should.

* * *

Now, seeing Tsunade smile and hearing her laugh, he felt happier than he had felt all of last week. _I'm not sure if it's healthy to have missed someone this much, _he thought, feeling a heavy weight lift from his chest, _but I just feel happier when she's around._

Leoko, Kureko, and a fuming Keiko rejoined Reborn and Tsunade. "The lady at the counter was going to make me pay extra since my bag was too heavy," said Keiko angrily.

_Too heavy? _thought Tsunade, _we're only going for two days, what is she bringing that weighs so much?_

Keiko continued talking, "Since Kureko and Leoko said to stop arguing or else we would miss our flight, I was forced to put some of my clothes into your suitcase, Tsunade. Sorry."

_Ah, of course, _Tsunade thought, _clothes. _She smiled and said, "Yeah, it's fine. I didn't have much in there anyway."

Leoko checked his watch. "We should go now," he said impatiently, "Our flight is in 30 minutes and security is going to take at least 10 minutes."

As they walked to the security checkpoint, Tsunade stopped and looked at the sliding glass doors longingly. _It's a shame you couldn't come, Iemitsu-nii sama, _she thought sadly, _I really wanted to have my first ever vacation in over 4 years with you. _

Tsunade was startled to feel a hand on her shoulder. "Tsunade-chan?" said Reborn, looking at her quizzically, "Are you ok?"

She stared out the doors for a second longer before turning around and smiling at Reborn. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, "Let's go, it looks like the others are getting impatient."

_It might not be you next to me, nii sama, _thought Tsunade, _but that's ok. I'm not alone anymore, I have people I can relax around and care about. _She looked up at Reborn. _Some more than others_

Tsunade and Reborn rejoined the others and entered the security checkpoint, joking and laughing together.

Their vacation has just begun.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N- I just realized that I may have contradicted myself several times as to what season it is. Sorry about that. It is actually **_**spring**_** break, not winter. I think my previous, super-vague, descriptions caused some confusion. :P**

"Yes! We're finally in Hokkaido!" Keiko exclaimed happily.

"You've been saying that since we've landed," joked Kureko, "What is it, the fifth time you've said it?"

They were standing in front of the exit of the Sapporo airport with all their baggage, ready to leave.

Keiko, unfazed, said, "I know I've said it before, but we're finally ready to leave the airport and actually start our vacation! This is where we really get to be in Hokkaido!"

Tsunade couldn't help but chuckle at Keiko's cheerful enthusiasm. _I've got to admit, _she thought, _Keiko' mood is contagious. _She felt even more excited now than she did before the flight. Keiko had been chattering nonstop about how much fun they would have ever since the plane took off, and now, everyone was pumped up as well.

Especially Leoko.

"Woohoo! Time to have some fuuuunnnnn!" Leoko yelled while jumping around, "Hokkaido babes, here I come!" He paused to wrap his arms around Keiko and Tsunade, "Of course, they couldn't be any more beautiful than you two…"** (A/N- I just love Leoko's character as an outrageous flirt XD)**

"We should call a taxi," said Reborn loudly as Kureko proceeded to drag Leoko off the girls and back to where he was standing before. "We need to check into the hotel and drop off our luggage first before going anywhere."

"Sure!" said Keiko, "Let's go!"

* * *

"Wow," said Tsunade breathlessly, "This is….amazing."

They were standing in the lobby of the luxurious five star hotel they reserved rooms at. Three giant sparkling chandeliers hung from the roof of the lobby, filling it with light. Computer controlled luggage carts were whizzing around, carrying bags to rooms everywhere in the forty floor building. The walls were filled with paintings from rising artists, soon to be worth a fortune. A ten foot tiered water fountain stood in the very center of the magnificence with tiles made of 14K gold and dotted with precious stones. Even the front counter, made with quartz and adorned with pure gold leaflets, seemed to belong in the house of a billionaire.

* * *

Reborn walked back from the counter to where the others were still gaping. He held up three room keys. "We're on the 24th floor," he said, oblivious to the other's amazement, "Load your stuff on the cart and it'll take it up to our rooms for us."

"How did you manage to get us three rooms in such a grand hotel?" Keiko said, astonished.

"My parents sent me my annual check for living expenses," said Reborn offhandedly, "They forgot that I'm no longer living in a mansion with them and sent me a lot more than I needed, so I decided to treat us to a better hotel this time."

"Dude, your parents are absolutely great," said Kureko.

_I applaud your acting, Kureko, but I think you know that this trip is funded by the money your organization makes illegally, _thought Tsunade, though she was still mesmerized by the scene around her.

Leoko snapped out of his trance and slapped Reborn on the back, "Well I'm more than happy to be staying at such an extravagant place," he said cheerfully, "but we should get going to have some FUN!"

Kureko began loading their suitcases onto the cart, groaning when he lifted up Keiko's. "Keiko-chan," said Kureko, barely managing to put Keiko's suitcase on the car, "I love you and all, but why do you have to pack so much for a two day trip?"

"Hey, clothes are extremely important," said Keiko defensively, crossing her arms over her chest, "You never know when you need an extra top or another pair of shoes. Speaking of clothes," she wheeled around to face Tsunade and Reborn, "I've been meaning to talk to you two about that."

_Why do I feel like I'm in an intervention? _thought Tsunade as Keiko's glare started to make her feel uncomfortable.

"We're on vacation, where we're supposed to have fun and enjoy ourselves to the fullest," said Keiko with a dreamy look in her eyes, "So why," she looked back at Tsunade and Reborn, "are you both in school uniforms?"

"I always wear a suit and fedora," said Reborn flatly.

"I really don't have anything else," said Tsunade, "I've only been in Tokyo for two weeks and I didn't want to take any of my clothes from Osaka."

Keiko let out a sigh. "With Reborn, I can accept his logic because I've known him for so long and have never seen him in anything other than a suit, but you, Tsunade," she shook her head, disappointed, "I expected more from you. When I opened your suitcase to stuff some of _my _clothes inside, I only saw another school uniform and a T-shirt and shorts," Keiko looked at Tsunade in disbelief, "How can you sleep in clothes like that?"

Tsunade began protesting. "Well, they're comfortable and I really don't—"

Keiko held up a hand to silence her. "Nuh-uh, we're going shopping," she said firmly, "You have got to get some new clothes. Don't forget that we're going to a fancy traditional Japanese dinner later and you will need a yukata."

"I thought I could just wear something formal—"

"No, no, no, the guys can 'just wear something formal'. WE have to step it up a bit. Come on," she said, stomping towards the door, "let's get going to the nearest shopping center."

"Why not the Sapporo Factory?" suggested Kureko, reading from a pamphlet, "It has over 160 stores and facilities and is established at the historical site where the Japanese first brewed beer."

"That's perfect!" exclaimed Leoko, "The girls can go shopping and we can grab a historical drink."

"Umm, I don't think that's what they mean by 'histori—"started Kureko, but he was promptly cut off by an impatient glare from Keiko.

"Come on," said Keiko impatiently, "Let's just go already! I have a fashion crisis on my hands!" She turned back to Tsunade. "How much money do you have?"

"Ummm, I didn't bring enough to go shop—"

"Doesn't matter!" said Keiko, turning around and walking towards the door, "I'll have enough to fund this shopping trip."

"You really don't have to—"

"Not listening!" sang Keiko.

Tsunade looked at Kureko desperately, but he only shrugged. "When Keiko's mind is set," he said with a dash of admiration in his voice, "There's no way out."

The guys began walking towards where Keiko was waiting with a taxi, and after heaving a sigh, Tsunade followed suit.

_I really don't like the aura that Keiko is giving off right now, _thought Tsunade as she settled in next to the fired-up Keiko in the taxi, _I've been on many extremely difficult missions, but I feel like I'm in the worst predicament I could possibly find myself in. _She blushed as she thought of Reborn, _Ok maybe not the worst, but it's a close second._

_What have I gotten myself into this time?_


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N- Yep this is officially the longest chapter I have written so far. My imagination went rampant on this one…so…yeah… I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so enjoy! XD**

* * *

"Wow, the Sapporo Factory sure is grand," said Kureko, staring at the dynamic shopping arcade in front of him, "Of course, it's nothing compared to the hotel you got a reservation at, Reborn."

Reborn opened his mouth to reply, but was nearly knocked over by Keiko who seemed ready to burst.

"Yeah, yeah, this place looks great," she said impatiently, "Now if you will excuse us, Tsunade and I are going to go emergency shopping. We'll call you later!" Keiko ran off, dragging a very unfortunate Tsunade with her.

"Wow, the Sapporo Factory sure is a great place," said Leoko indifferently, "Now if you will excuse us, Reborn and I are going to the nearest bar to get some of this famous beer or what-not."

"I think there's one around the block," said Kureko, checking his pamphlet.

"Perfect," said Leoko, "Since you have a girlfriend and all, I guess you can't come with us. We all know Reborn is just with Tsunade to gain more information, so it's perfectly fine if he goes with me." Before Reborn could protest, Leoko grabbed him by the arm and dragged him in the opposite direction.

_Is it possible that Keiko and Leoko are secretly related? _thought, unknowingly echoing Tsunade's thoughts from earlier that day.

He watched Leoko drag Reborn out of the building and smiled. _Leoko says that Reborn only cares about Tsunade because of her valuable information. However, the pained look on Reborn's face says otherwise. It seems like Tsunade is more than an informant now._

Kureko looked around at his surroundings. _Now, what am I going to do?_

* * *

Reborn was sulking at the counter, shooting glares at Leoko who seemed blissfully unaware of Reborn's intense hatred.

_Why did Leoko have to drag me along to watch him flirt? _thought Reborn, fuming, _it's such a waste of time, and he knows I don't really like drinking since it dulls my senses. I only do for business courtesy, not to drown my reason._

_Not to mention the fact that I feel a bit guilty being here._

Reborn stopped glaring at Leoko and sighed wistfully. _Leoko says that I'm only interested in Tsunade because she has a unique connection to the Black Hunter, and that was true, for a little while, _he thought, _but now, I can't hide behind that excuse anymore. I admit it, she's no longer just an informant for me to use and throw away. I mean, come on, her intelligence, intuition, and weapons handling skill is on par with mine and may even be greater, her unique bloodline gives her skills that set her above the rest, and she, herself, just has something that seems to attract attention. Tsunade is…_

_special._

_She's the only one that can take my breath away, the only one that can make me feel vulnerable, the only one that can make me, the youngest criminal mastermind known to man, feel this way. This feeling…is this…_

_love?_

Reborn was mulling over the thought when movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Two girls were giggling in a corner and shooting not-so-innocent looks his way. _Oh shit,_ he thought, _I really don't want to deal with this right now. _He looked over at where Leoko was still charming a growing crowd of more giggling girls. _Umm Leoko? _he thought, as the two girls began approaching him, _you missed two!_

"Hey there," said the taller girl with red highlights seductively, "I'm Aika-chan, and this is Emiko-chan," she gestured to the shorter girl with her hair dyed blonde, "Are these seats taken?"

_Sometimes lying is the best course of action. _"The seats are taken," he said coldly, "just like I am."

The girls giggled. "You're funny," said Aika flirtatiously, sitting down in the seat anyway, "I like that in a man. Tell you what," she leaned in closer, "how about you show two girls a good time and your little girlfriend won't have to know a thing?"

Reborn stared uncomfortably into Aika's brown eyes. _Brown…_ he thought, momentarily distracted, _so different from Tsunade's honey-golden ones_. He shook his head and pulled away. _You should be able to handle this easily, _Reborn chided himself, _so why can't you? _

_What's wrong with you?_

Luckily, Reborn's cellphone rang at that time he jumped up and winked at both Aika and Emiko, some of his old charm returning, "Sorry ladies," he said smoothly, "I have to take this. Maybe you can go talk to my friend over there," he pointed at Leoko, "he seems to be in the market for a girl." Reborn tipped his fedora at them as he slowly backed away, "Bye." He rushed out of the door.

* * *

Reborn leaned against the wall outside and let out a huge sigh of relief. He answered the phone. "Kureko, I cannot thank you enough for your timing," he said gratefully.

"Girls flirting with you again?" Kureko said knowingly, "Well if a good looking guy like you goes into a bar, you will get hit on."

"I know, that's why I didn't want to go," growled Reborn.

"You know, usually, you can handle flirty girls fine," said Kureko slyly, "So what happened?"

Reborn flushed dark red. "I-I don't know," he stammered, "I just couldn't seem to concentrate."

Kureko chuckled. "Well Keiko just called me and said that she has officially fixed the major fashion crisis and wants to meet us near the front entrance where we came in. I'm heading over to the shop where they are because Keiko needs some help with her bags. See you and Leoko there?"

"You'll probably see me, but not Leoko," said Reborn, looking through the window at Leoko's entourage, "We can pick him up later when we're going to dinner."

"Ok then," said Kureko. He paused and then added, "Oh, and don't worry; I won't tell Tsunade you were at a bar." He hung up with a smile.

Reborn hung up too and sighed. _Although I appreciate your secrecy, Kureko, _he thought wearily, _with Tsunade's skill, she'll probably figure it out quickly. _He began walking back to the Sapporo factory.

* * *

Emiko noticed Aika staring out the window at the well-dressed man that Aika had been flirting with earlier.

"Aika-chan?" she said curiously, "Why are you still staring at him?

Aika shook herself out of her daze and smirked at Emiko, "He intrigues me," she said boldly, "He has a sense of…mystery and danger shrouding him." She stood up and stretched. "I need a name for this creature," she purred, "His friend is too common to interest me. I'll be pursuing the rarer prey." Aika looked back at Emiko, who was looking at her with awe and admiration. "Ta ta!"

She walked out of the bar.

* * *

_Sometimes, I think Keiko would be an ideal Interpol trainer, _thought Tsunade breathlessly.

In 30 minutes, Keiko had dragged her to seven shops, made her try on 28 outfits (including 3 yukatas), and bought 12 outfits (9 of which were for Keiko herself).

_If Kureko hadn't showed up, I think I would've collapsed from exhaustion, even with my training, _thought Tsunade as she struggled with the remaining four bags, _even so, any normal person would've collapsed by now._

"Hey Kureko-kun?" she panted, "Is Keiko secretly a superhuman or something?"

Kureko groaned as he rearranged the bags on his arms. "You know?" he replied wearily, "At times like this, it seems like a distinct possibility."

"Reborn-kun!" exclaimed Keiko happily, "Nice to see you again!"

"It's been literally half an hour!" said Reborn, amused, "And looking at the state of Tsunade and Kureko, it's been a tough 30 minutes."

_Tough doesn't even begin to explain it, _thought Tsunade, trying to control her relief and happiness from seeing Reborn.

Reborn walked over to Tsunade and took two of her bags. "There," he said, "now you can catch your breath before Keiko drags us somewhere else."

"Thanks," said Tsunade gratefully. She looked up at Reborn and felt her heart speed up again, and she knew it wasn't because of her exhaustion.

"Hey, lovebirds?" panted Kureko, "I would like some assistance too!"

Reborn and Tsunade both blushed and hurried over to where Kureko was. Tsunade took one of the bags and Reborn took two. Kureko sighed in relief. "Whoever knew yukatas weighed so much?" he said.

"Tell me about it," muttered Tsunade.

Keiko skipped over to them with her usual bright smile. "Looks like everyone's here!" she said cheerfully, "Except Leoko, of course. He's picking up girls again." She sighed. "At least that means he'll stop hitting on us, right Tsunade?" Keiko turned to Tsunade, who seemed to be distracted, "Tsunade?"

"Hmm?" Tsunade snapped out of her daze, "Oh sorry, yeah, it's a relief to be away from Leoko's advances."

Keiko looked at her strangely, "Are you ok Tsunade?"

Tsunade smiled and said, "Yeah, just fine. I was just distracted by something outside."

"Ok!" said Keiko, returning to her usual peppy mood, "Let's spend another two hours here and then return to the hotel. It'll take some time for us to get ready for dinner."

_Yeah, for you to get ready and to drag me through various stages of experimentation, _thought Tsunade.

Keiko grabbed onto Kureko's arm (which nearly made him fall over) and began pulling him along. Come on!" she shouted, "Let's go!"

Tsunade began following them, but she stopped and shot a glance behind her shoulder. _Someone's watching us, _she thought uneasily, _it doesn't seem to be a harmful presence, but it wants something. _

"Tsunade?" said Reborn.

"Coming!" Tsunade reluctantly turned back towards the group. _That's not the only problem though, _she thought,_ He—no she, it's definitely a female presence—may be looking at the group, but her attention is fixed on one person. _She gritted her teeth. _Reborn._

* * *

_Hmmm, interesting, _thought Akai with a small smile. She tapped a perfectly manicured finger on her blood red lips. _So his name is Reborn, huh? Quite unusual. Since the perky girl is clinging on to the other guy like her life depends on it, I'm guessing his 'girlfriend' is the brunette. _Akai watched as they walked away, chuckling at the brunette's wary glances, _looks like her instincts aren't as bad as her looks _**(A/N- BUUURRRRNNNN! XD) **she thought arrogantly, _she's not that bad-looking, but compared to her, I should be a real trophy. I just need more time to work my charm. _She began walking after them, careful to keep a good distance. _Let's see how much you really love your girlfriend, Reborn._

* * *

_There's no doubt about it, _thought Reborn, _that girl from the bar is stalking me._

They were at a jewelry store where Keiko was flitting from counter to counter with Kureko in tow. Tsunade was quietly looking around, though her constant backward glances showed that she also was aware of their follower.

_When did girls looking for a one night stand become so freaking persistent?_ he thought, frustrated. He had to compliment her on her efforts, but she obviously was inexperienced at shadowing and he had spotted her the moment they started moving. Reborn had hoped it was a coincidence, but after an hour, it was obvious she was not here to do some shopping.

_Dammit! What do I do now?_ Reborn saw Tsunade shoot another look over her shoulder and thought of a risky idea. _This idea is a bit unconventional, _he thought, _but it just may work. My tone when conversing with Akai wasn't solid and probably led to some doubt. My plan should put those doubts to rest. It has some risks, but, _he looked over at Tsunade, _I don't mind taking these particular risks._

* * *

_So Reborn knows our stalker? _thought Tsunade, watching Reborn tense up whenever their inexperienced follower came into view. _Well I guess I shouldn't be surprised, _she thought with a twinge of…jealousy? Tsunade shook off most of the feeling and returned to her thoughts. _He's pretty popular around women, so it's no wonder that he may be stalked, though none are very good at it. _Tsunade was so immersed in the thought of Reborn's possible fan club that she almost didn't notice Reborn coming up behind her and looking over her shoulder. She froze.

"You've been standing here admiring that necklace for a long time," said Reborn, nodding at the display case, "You know, if you want it, I can buy it for you."

"What?!" said Tsunade, thoroughly taken aback, "Oh no, it's ok, you don't have to—"

"It's fine, it'll be sort of a late welcome present to Tokyo," said Reborn.

Despite Tsunade's protests, he called the store clerk over and bought the necklace. As the store clerk went to finish the transaction and place the necklace in a box, Tsunade turned to face Reborn and arched an eyebrow at him. "Well that was an expensive way to get my attention to discuss our potential stalker," she said accusingly.

Reborn shrugged. "It seemed to be the smoothest way to get us in front of the mirror so that we could watch her without shooting backward looks all the time," he said nonchalantly, "The clearest and biggest mirror was behind the cash register so I got us there the easiest way I could without arousing suspicion. Besides," he said, watching the mirror out of the corner of his eye, "I think that necklace suits you well."

Tsunade couldn't help but blush slightly. "The necklace was a thin gold chain with a gold rose pendent dotted with small black diamonds on the edge," she hissed, "Couldn't you have bought something less expensive?"

"It just happened that it was the one you were looking at at that time," said Reborn, "It was just a matter of bad timing."

**(A/N- A black rose…now where have I mentioned that before?)**

Tsunade sighed. "Never mind," she said quietly, "So who is that girl? Someone you met at the bar earlier?"

Reborn opened his mouth to ask how she knew, but Tsunade shook her head. "Before you ask, your breath smells faintly of the famous beer that was produced here. Although there is a brewery on the premises, you would have to go somewhere else, such as a bar, to actually drink it. Knowing Leoko, he probably dragged you along and bought you a glass even though you didn't drink much of it. Your sleeve has a few cigarette ashes on it. I know you didn't bring any cigars on this trip since you don't really smoke, so the only way the ashes got on your sleeve is if you accidently laid your arm on them. The Sapporo Factory only allows smoking in designated areas, which you wouldn't go into. Therefore, the only place you could've gotten them is in a bar, where nearly everyone has a cigarette and the ashes can fall on the counter."

Reborn chuckled. "I knew you would be able to figure it out," he said in admiration, "Yes, she's some girl that tried to flirt with me at the bar. Usually, I would be able to handle this but," he shot an uneasy glance at the mirror, "this girl is unusually persistent."

Tsunade looked at Reborn, "And I assume you have a plan to get rid of her?"

"I do," said Reborn, turning his attention back to Tsunade, "but I'll need your cooperation."

"Well you just spent about 25,000 yen on me to get me here," said Tsunade, "I don't think I can back out now. So what do I need to do?"

"Follow my lead," said Reborn softly, "and don't kill me afterwards."

Tsunade was going to ask what he meant, when Reborn leaned over and kissed her.

The last thought that came to Tsunade's mind was, _Reborn is a good kisser._

Then her mind went blank.


	14. Chapter 13

After a moment that seemed to be too short, they broke off for air.

"What," Tsunade said between gasps of air, "the hell was that."

"That," said Reborn, slightly amused and shocked himself, "was a kiss. It was also my plan."

"Well that was one hell of a plan, and it seems to have worked," said Tsunade, her enhanced senses slowly returning, "I can't feel her presence anymore, which means that she has moved out of the building."

Reborn chuckled and Tsunade could feel his warm breath on her lips. "You know that it takes at least a minute to walk out of the factory, right?"

_That means we've been kissing for—_Tsunade's realization was cut off when she heard snickers behind them. They spun around to face a very amused Keiko and Kureko, who could barely contain their laughter.

"It seems like you both have finally come to terms with your mutual feelings," said Kureko before bursting into laughter.

"Yay! Tsunade and Reborn are finally together!" exclaimed Keiko.

Reborn and Tsunade sprang apart and began trying to explain.

"There was a stalker—"

"That Reborn met at a bar—"

"Yeah! A-and she kept following us—"

"She was creepily persistent—"

"We had to get rid of her—"

"So Reborn thought of this crazy plan—"

"I admit, it was a bit far-fetched, but the idea was for the stalker to see that I have a girlfriend—"

"Which he does not—"

"—and leave me alone."

"And that's how this whole thing happened."

"So you see," said Reborn, calming down, "I think you both misunderstood. It was just—"

At that moment the store clerk came out of the backroom and smiled at Reborn. "Ah, Chaos-san," he said, completely oblivious of the situation, "Here's the necklace you bought for the lady." The clerk gave the box to Tsunade who stared at it in disbelief. "It took me a while to find a box. Thank you for your purchase." He then walked away, unaware of the damage he caused.

There was a moment of silence, then Reborn buried his face in his hands and Keiko and Kureko broke down in laughter. Tsunade tried to say something, but Reborn laid a hand on her shoulder and sighed.

"There's no use trying to stop them when they're pumped up like this," said Reborn wearily, "We'll just have to bear with it."

They stared at Kureko and Keiko for a little while.

"You know, your plan…was a pretty good one," said Tsunade distractedly.

Reborn looked at her with a startled expression, and Tsunade flushed dark red when she realized the meaning behind her words. "I-I mean," she stammered, embarrassed, "I-it—the plan in general, I mean—worked well in the end."

Reborn couldn't help but blush too, "Yeah…it did work out pretty well," he muttered.

"Thanks for the necklace," said Tsunade awkwardly.

"You're welcome," said Reborn, "Thanks for going along with my plan."

"It was no problem."

They stood there awkwardly for a little while, then Reborn cleared his throat and said, "I'm going to ask where we're going next." He went over to where Keiko and Kureko seemed to finally be calming down.

_Something's changed between us,_ thought Tsunade, watching Reborn try to reason with the couple, _I'm just not sure if it's for the better or for the worst. _She looked out the store entrance. _The only thing I don't understand is why that girl gave up so easily, _she thought, confused, _her aura had a strong streak of stubbornness, so seeing a simple kiss shouldn't be enough to make her give up._

"Come on, Tsunade!" shouted Keiko, "We decided to continue on shopping instead of bringing you and Reborn to the nearest wedding planner!"

Tsunade cringed slightly at how loud Keiko was and covered her mouth, unable to stop a small smile from spreading on her face, _Friends,_ she thought, _I never thought I would really have any, but it's moments like these that I'm happy my fate brought me here, though I had to go through many hardships. Is it possible that with these people, that I can have…a normal life? _She shook her head. _No, that's not possible, _Tsunade thought sadly, _I'm in way too deep. Living a normal life would mean throwing away everything I've known, everything that I ever stood for, everything my family ever stood for, everything I have ever done. But, _she looked at Reborn and her eyes softened, _is that a price really too steep to pay?_

"Tsunade!" said Keiko, growing impatient.

Tsunade shoved her thoughts into the back of her mind to deal with later and hurried to where Kureko and Keiko were mercilessly teasing a very frazzled Reborn. As they walked away, Tsunade couldn't help but look over her shoulder one last time. _What did happen to that girl? _she wondered.

…

Emiko spun around at the sound of the door opening. "Aika-chan!" she exclaimed cheerfully, "You're back!"

Emiko's smile faded as Aika silently walked in and sat down. "Aika-chan?" she repeated, confused, "Are you ok?" Emiko looked around. "And where's that man from earlier?"

Aika sighed and leaned back. "He won't come," she said flatly.

"What?!" shouted Emiko, shocked, "But, that's not possible! You always get who you want."

Aika smiled sadly and shook her head, "No," she said absently, "I don't."

Emiko continued to badger Aika with questions, but Aika's mind was already wandering. _It was obvious that they weren't a couple, _she thought, _you could tell by the way they talked and acted around each other. There were a few mutual feelings between the two, but I thought a small bond like that would be easy to break. But when they kissed, _thought Aika, remembering the moment clearly, _when they kissed, it seemed as if…as if they were complete with each other. I can't explain it, but…it was as if they were fated to be with each other. At that moment, I knew I didn't have a chance._

Emiko was still talking when Aika abruptly stood up. "Ah? Aika-chan?" she said, "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving."

"Huh?!"

Aika looked down at Emiko with an expression Emiko had never seen on her face before. "I'm done with finding different people to make me happy for one day," said Aika firmly, "I want to find someone that can make me happy for the rest of my life."

With that said, Aika turned around and left, leaving a speechless Emiko behind.

…

_Never, _thought Aika, _in a million years, have I thought I would walk out of a bar without a guy._

She leaned against the wall and sighed. _But watching Reborn and that brunette fit together like two perfect puzzle pieces made me really question what I was doing, _she thought, looking up at the sky, _they were really made for each other, and I was willing to break that for something that would only last a day. I don't want to have happiness that comes and goes anymore. I want to be eternally happy._

Aika pushed herself off the wall, a new determination firing up in her eyes. _That's right, I'll fix up my life the way it was supposed to be and find happiness my own way. _

She walked off, changing her own fate and unknowingly accelerating the fates of two enemies in forbidden love.


	15. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the long wait and long chapter! . I needed to do more research AND I went on vacation for a week. I hope you still enjoy it anyway!**

**I haven't asked in a long time but REVIEWS PLEASE! I really appreciate any feedback!**

* * *

_If I never saw Kureko or Leoko ever again, _thought Reborn, _it would be too soon._

The three of them were standing in the hallway, dressed formally and waiting for the girls to go to dinner. Leoko had been pretty mad when they came to pick him up, but he perked right up after Kureko filled him in on what happened in the factory. For two hours, Leoko and Kureko have been teasing Reborn nonstop. Tsunade managed to escape their mocking remarks when Keiko hauled her into their room to get ready (though Reborn wasn't sure who had it worse), but Kureko and Leoko had only doubled their taunts against Reborn.

Now, Reborn was regretting his decision to leave his permit and his guns at home.

"You know, right now, behind this very door," said Leoko slyly, pointing at Keiko and Tsunade's room, "a certain someone is in various stages of undress."

Reborn groaned and began banging his head against the wall, trying to drown out the sound of Kureko and Leoko's laughter.

"Don't mess up your fedora, Reborn," said Kureko, trying to contain his laughter and failing miserably, "Of course, it won't matter later when you won't even need to wear it or any—"

_I've changed my mind, _thought Reborn, managing to ignore Leoko and Kureko for a split-second, _I don't have to defeat the Black Hunter if it means I can die right now._

Finally, unable to take it anymore, Reborn spun around and forced a smile on his face. "Hey Leoko," he said, "You know how you said someone behind the door was undressed? How do you know it's not Keiko?"

Leoko stopped laughing and thought about it. "Hmmm, you're right," he said thoughtfully, "It's ok though, we all know Kureko has already seen it then."

"Says the guy that has seen so many girls that even if you had all the fingers in the world to count with, because we both know you can't count any other way, you wouldn't even be able to get through half of them," retorted Kureko.

Reborn watched the two begin to argue and let out a sigh of relief. _It worked, _he thought, relieved, _I knew if I got Leoko to needle Kureko, they would stop bothering me and argue amongst themselves. _He leaned against the wall and smirked. _I might as well enjoy this change in subject while I can._

* * *

After several minutes of Reborn watching Kureko and Leoko fling insults back and forth, Kureko finally caved in.

"You know what?" said Kureko, surrendering, "It doesn't matter anymore." "What does matter," he said, raising his voice over Leoko's gloating, "is why Keiko and Tsunade are taking so long. We're going to be late."

Kureko knocked on the door. "Keiko-chan?" he called out, "What's taking so long?"

The door opened a bit and Keiko poked her head out. "Sorry Kureko!" she said, donning an apologetic smile, "It looks like we'll be a _little _while longer. Why don't you guys go ahead? We'll take a taxi later."

"Ok then," said Kureko, "We'll meet you there."

_That's strange, _thought Reborn, _it's been nearly two hours. Even Keiko normally doesn't take that long._

Keiko flashed one more bright smile and went back into the room. Before the door fully closed, Reborn, Leoko, and Kureko heard sounds of struggling and Tsunade's frantic voice yell, "You are not coming near my face with those tweezers!"

"It seems like Tsunade-chan isn't cooperating with Keiko's experimentation," said Kureko, amused, "That's why they're taking so long." He chuckled. "Tsunade should know that it's useless trying to resist Keiko. Keiko's going to get what she wants." Keiko paused, and then slowly turned around to face Reborn with a huge grin.

Reborn groaned inwardly. "Not again"_, _he muttered.

"Unless of course," said Kureko, looking at Reborn mischievously, "you go in and save her. I have to warn you though, she may be in various stages of—"

"I'm going to the lobby," said Reborn loudly, attempting to drown out Leoko and Kureko's laughter once again.

_This is going to be a long evening._

* * *

_When I get back to Tokyo, _thought Tsunade, _I am writing a strong recommendation to recruit Keiko into the Interpol._

Tsunade had been the top in her class, combat skills well above the level of her teachers, observation skills as sharp as the blades she used to dominate her silent assassinations class, and her stubbornness always got her first in the interrogation endurance class.

But never, in all her years, has she met a person as stubborn as Keiko.

"Yes!" exclaimed Keiko, "I'm done! How do you feel, Tsunade?"

"I feel as though I just went through an extreme torture session," said Tsunade flatly.

Keiko giggled. "Don't be silly," she said cheerfully, "How would you know how an extreme torture session feels like?"

_Because I've been through five, _thought Tsunade, _then again, compared to those five, this is much worse._

"Well, all of my hard work has paid off," said Keiko contently, "You look beautiful now. Of course, you looked pretty before, but now, you're just perfect." A sly grin replaced her usual peppy smile. "Which is exactly how you want to look for Reborn."

Tsunade groaned. _This again, _she thought.

In addition to being forced into a chair and having her face remodeled several times, Tsunade also had to put up with Keiko's constant jibes regarding Reborn for the past hour. The only time Keiko stopped teasing her was when she decided to empty the whole bottle of makeup remover on Tsunade's face and start over, which was why they took so long.

"Whatever," grumbled Tsunade, "Since you've given me your seal of approval, can we please go now? We're nearly 15 minutes late."

"Awww, I just can't get over how cute you are!" squealed Keiko. Tsunade blushed and muttered a 'thank you'. "But you're right, we should get going," said Keiko.

Tsunade got up and walked to the door. She opened it and looked back to see Keiko watching her with an astonished expression. "What?" asked Tsunade, confused.

"Are you sure you've never worn _geta _or a _yukata _before?" said Keiko in awe, "Because you're walking as if you've been wearing them all your life."

_Actually, there was a tradeoff at a traditional Japanese party that I needed to intercept, _though Tsunade, _because of that, I had to learn how to run and climb in this outfit for a maximum of five hours to maintain my cover._

_But of course, I can't tell her that._

"No, never," said Tsunade, "I guess I learned by watching you walk around the room. I'm a pretty fast learner, you know."

"More like a natural," exclaimed Keiko. She grabbed her bag and hurried over to where Tsunade was waiting. "We need to hurry, we're going to be late you know! I bet Reborn is dying to see you!" Having said that, she grabbed Tsunade and started dragging her to the elevator.

_This has happened so many times that it's starting to feel normal now, _thought Tsunade wearily.

_It's going to be a long evening._

* * *

_How much money does Reborn have? _thought Tsunade, slowly taking in the elegance of her surroundings.

The restaurant was simple, yet elegant. Separated into private rooms by solid bamboo walls, the entrance of the rooms were formed with silk curtains embroidered with beautiful golden designs. On the inside, there were sunken mahogany tables surrounded by high quality tatami mats. Multiple sophisticated paper lanterns hung from the ceiling, lighting the restaurant in a dim, yet warm, glow.

_You obviously need to get a private reservation at this restaurant, and it wouldn't be cheap, _thought Tsunade.

"Tsunade-chan!" shouted Keiko, "Come on!"

_Ah, Keiko figured out where the others are, _thought Tsunade, hurrying after Keiko, cringing as people turned to look at them, _I just wish she wasn't so loud about it._

Keiko walked to a room near the back of the restaurant and flung open the curtains. "We're here!" she sang.

Kureko's mouth fell open, Leoko froze with his tea halfway to his mouth, and Reborn promptly dropped his chopsticks.

_What are they staring at? _thought Tsunade, shooting a confused look behind her, then it hit her, _Oh, they're staring at us._

Keiko was wearing a dark aqua blue yukata adorned with small golden flowers, a black sash wrapped around her waist. Her silky black hair was pulled into a beautiful flower bun with small jeweled pins dotted all around it. Keiko's eyes were lined with dark eyeliner and her eyelashes seemed longer with her professional use of mascara. Along with her smile that seemed even more dazzling with her pink lipstick lips, she was stunning.

But if Keiko was bright and bold, then Tsunade would be subtle and graceful. As a result of all her protests, she had barely managed to get Keiko to agree with a simpler look (though it also resulted with a lot of makeup remover being dumped on her face).

Her yukata was a pure white that darkened to dark pink at the edges. Small sakura blossoms graced the edges of her sleeves and coiled around the base of her yukata in a thin swirling line, ending at the pink sash wrapped tightly around her waist. Tsunade's hair was a twist on her normal simple ponytail with her soft brown hair twisted into wispy locks and pinned up in a simple updo garnished by a black rose flower arrangement. Her face was dusted with a bit of pink blush and her small lips had a glossy shine.

And of course, she wore the gold necklace with the black rose pendant.

Time seemed to freeze for a second, then Reborn and Kureko quickly stood up and left the room in a hurry.

"Where are they going?" asked Keiko, puzzled.

Leoko, shaking himself out of his daze, smirked and said, "Well based on the way they clutched their face and the small drops of blood, I would say they both got nosebleeds and headed to the bathroom." His grin widened, "Which means," he said slyly, "that the three of us are alone for the time being."

"I'm going to the restroom too," said Tsunade flatly, spinning on her heel and leaving.

"I think I'll go wash my hands first," said Keiko, ignoring Leoko's protests, "Why don't you get the blood cleaned up and finish your tea?" She smiled and hurried after Tsunade, leaving a very disappointed Leoko behind.

* * *

"I think it stopped," said Reborn, gingerly wiping his pointed nose with a paper towel.

"Mine is still going," said Kureko, panicked.

Reborn chuckled. "Just tilt your head back and pinch the bridge of your nose," he said, amused, "It'll stop the flow of blood to your nose."

"Thanks," said Kureko, taking Reborn's advice, He turned towards Reborn. "You know, if my nose began bleeding because Keiko looked absolutely amazing," he said slowly, "that means you reacted to…"

_Why does this keep happening to me? _thought Reborn, burying his face in his hands. "Kureko, I've already told you that you're misreading this," he said wearily.

"Oh, I don't think I am."

"Yes, you are."

"You really like Tsunade, don't you?"

"Kureko, I—"

"Come on, I know you do."

"Seriously, I—"

"Do you?"

"Please stop."

"Not until you admit it."

"There's nothing to—"

"Admit it."

"Kureko—"

"You know it's true."

"AND SO WHAT IF IT IS?" shouted Reborn.

Shocked at Reborn's sudden outburst, Kureko fell silent.

Reborn slumped his shoulders and looked away. "I know it's wrong," he mumbled, "I mean, she's just an informant and personal feelings are just a hindrance to our business."

Kureko placed a firm hand on Reborn's shoulder and turned him around so that they were face to face, startling Reborn.

"Listen to me, Reborn," said Kureko, his tone suddenly serious, "The business isn't going to your life forever. Right now, it seems fun, it seems to be the ultimate experience, it seems to be a way of life, but will it stay that way? You need to ask yourself, this temporary fame, this temporary fortune, this temporary thrill, is it really what you want?"

_Kureko…_thought Reborn in shock, _is that what you really think? This business…it's given so many things to enjoy in life. The unbeatable thrill when successfully defying the law again and again is the real allure of the business, the money and fame are just an extra plus. It's like a drug that I rely on daily, I can't just quit. _

_But…_he realized, _Kureko's right, this whole operation can't last forever. The thrill I rely on won't be provided by this business forever. All these temporary things…_

_They're not what I really want._

The silence ensued for another moment, then Reborn smiled and shook his head. "Thanks Kureko," he said softly. Kureko unclasped Reborn's shoulders and smiled back. "I'm glad you listened," said Kureko.

Reborn began walking towards the door, then he paused. "Oh and by the way, Kureko?" he said, turning back to face Kureko.

"Hmm?"

"Your nose is still bleeding."

Kureko watched a red drop drip down from his nose. "Oh shit!" he yelled, quickly grabbing a paper towel and pinching the bridge of his nose, "You go out first, I'll be in here a little while longer."

Reborn chuckled and opened the door to leave—and nearly tripped over Tsunade.

"Re-reborn!" stammered Tsunade, flushing dark red, "I-I'm sorry, I was just waiting for Keiko-chan. I didn't want to be alone with Leoko"

Reborn felt his heart jump and his pulse race. _This feeling, _he thought, _it's almost the same as…as…_

_As the thrill I constantly crave._

He looked down at Tsunade. _Could it be that she, _thought Reborn, _that just seeing her, gives me the same thrill I get when I successfully pull off a transaction?_

"Reborn?" said Tsunade, looking at him with confusion in her honey-golden eyes, "Are you ok? Is your nose still bothering you?" She reached up and touched his nose without thinking. Both of them froze, then they flushed pink and Tsunade quickly withdrew her hand.

"S-sorry," muttered Tsunade.

Reborn stared, and then he smiled at her with an expression no one had ever seen on his face before. "Come on," he said, gesturing towards their table, "I'll go back with you."

_I think I know what I really want, _thought Reborn as they walked back, _I want something—_

_or someone_

—_that can give me a thrill for the rest of my life._

* * *

"Looks like Reborn finally faced his feelings," said Keiko, watching the two with an amused expression, "You did a good job, Kureko."

Kureko chuckled. "Yeah, but we're not quite done matchmaking yet," he said.

Keiko's smile dimmed slightly. "You're right," she said, slightly disappointed, "we still have to get Tsunade to accept how she feels as well."

"Oh, I don't think it'll be that hard," said Kureko confidently, receiving a confused look from Keiko, "Once Reborn realizes he has something what he wants, he won't stop until he gets it. He just needs a moment to take action." Kureko's smile widened, "And I know exactly how to get that moment."

**Things are really heating up now XD! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but it's going to be interesting!**


	16. Chapter 15

_For the first time in my life, I feel very, very, scared, _thought Reborn uneasily.

He was putting his business, his whole life for the past five years, on the line for a feeling he never felt before, for a girl he barely knew. His fame and fortune would disappear the moment he decided to leave, leaving him with nearly nothing. Everything he lived for would be thrown away if he chose to pursue Tsunade, and even then, there was no guaranteed he'd succeed.

But that was the least of his worries.

_Keiko and Kureko have been whispering to each other for an awfully long time now, _thought Reborn, _and it's never a good thing when the top strategist of a major criminal organization and the most persistent person on the planet get together to plan something. _

Those two had been conspiring amongst themselves ever since dinner. They had purposely sat at the farthest possible seats away from Reborn and Tsunade, and with Leoko's loud talking, their secretive conversation couldn't be heard by even his keen ears.

After dinner, Keiko had insisted on taking a separate taxi with Tsunade back to the hotel. Reborn had let out a sigh of relief then since it meant Kureko and Keiko could no longer plan whatever it was they were planning—until Leoko and Kureko had started whispering in the back. He remembered thinking, _First my top strategist and his stubborn girlfriend, and now my top advisor too? This must be the greatest scheme of the century, and unfortunately, I'm mixed up in it somehow. _Thanks to their training, (that Reborn himself had taught them) Reborn could only catch snippets of their conversation, none of which were helpful.

Even then, the secretive talk wasn't over. The moment they got back to the hotel, Keiko dragged Tsunade back to their room (a sight that was no longer uncommon) and appeared 30 minutes later, makeup removed and wearing a nightdress, in front of Kureko and Reborn's room.

Reborn had left the room 3 hours go to explore the hotel, leaving the couple to continue formulating their secretive plot. He was surprised (and frightened) when he returned 45 minutes ago to see that Kureko and Keiko were in the exact same position as they were in when he left.

Even after he took a shower, they were still whispering. Reborn sighed as he continued to dry his hair. _They're planning something big, _he thought, _and their determination is starting to freak me out. _He slung the towel over his shoulder and twirled his toothbrush thoughtfully. _What could they possibly be planning?_

A knock on the door shook Reborn out of his thoughts. "Reborn? Kureko? It's me, Leoko!" shouted Leoko's muffled voice from the other side of the door, "Let me in!"

"Hey Reborn, could you get that?" asked Kureko with a pleading look. "We're discussing something."

Reborn shrugged. "Sure," he said, walking to the door, still holding his toothbrush.

_It's nearly 11:30, _thought Reborn suspiciously, _I was almost positive that Leoko would be at some bar or club by now. What could he want at this hour?_

He opened the door tentatively and peered out, "Leoko?" he said aloud, confused at the empty hallway in front of him.

In his short moment of confusion, Reborn didn't notice the two pairs of hands behind him until he was roughly shoved out of the room. "What the—"

The door slammed shut. "Kureko! Keiko! What's going on?" demanded Reborn, knocking on the door loudly. He could hear their laughter on the other side.

"Sorry Reborn-kun!" said Keiko between giggles, "We'll be taking over this room for quite a while."

"Try coming back say, oh, I don't know, 7 in the morning," said Kureko before bursting into laughter again.

Reborn stopped knocking and slumped against the door, seething. _This, _he thought angrily, _is what they were planning?! A childish prank such as this?!_

He took in a deep breath. _Calm down, _he chided himself, _think about the possible courses of action. _Reborn ran the possible scenarios through his head. _I could go downstairs and ask for another room key, _he thought, _but knowing Kureko and the extent of his planning, he probably already has a plan B in case that happens. Leoko was probably also in on this, so I can't go to his room for the night, not to mention the fact that he most likely already has plans include leaving his room open for…company. There's no place out of the hotel I can stay for a whole night since my wallet and other belongings are in the room. I can't stay out in the hallways either since many of my clients frequent this hotel. Although some people would still consider a white dress shirt and charcoal dress pants made from French Terry _**(A/N- I did some research and French Terry is a fabric that looks like fine suit cloth but feels comfortable, like sweatpants. This is an actual thing and I'm just borrowing the idea, meaning I, in no way, own this amazing invention.) **_formal, it is not suitable for meeting any important people right now. _

Finally, Reborn sighed and stood up, knowing he only had one course of action available. _There's only one place I can go, _he thought resignedly, _and unfortunately, I think Kureko had planned for me to make this choice all along._

….

_Keiko's been gone for an awfully long time now, _thought Tsunade uneasily.

She knew Keiko and Kureko had been planning something by their suspicious behavior and the mischievous aura that had been shrouding them ever since dinner. Keiko had dragged her back to the room in a hurry so that she could show Tsunade how to properly use makeup remover. After her hasty demonstration, she had taken off her own makeup and took a shower in twenty minutes (a new record for Keiko) before running out of the room, leaving Tsunade bewildered.

After Keiko left, Tsunade removed her own makeup (_I never knew it was possible to have this much material on one's face without suffocating) _and took a shower. After that, she called Iemitsu to make sure he was ok ("I'm fine, so stop fretting over me and enjoy your vacation!") and wandered around the hotel for an hour or two. She was shocked to find the room still empty when she returned, thinking that Keiko would've surely returned by then. Tsunade brushed her teeth and washed her face, the empty room giving her no distraction from the one thought she couldn't shake off:

Reborn.

_What is he to me, really? _she thought, _The excuses I had before no longer apply to what I'm feeling anymore. I know I'm working for the Interpol to continue my family's belief, to complete the fate my brother gave up to save me. I know I'm doing all of this for what my whole life had been training me for, but why does everything seem to dim in importance when…when I'm with Reborn? When I'm with him, I feel like I could throw away everything if it meant I can stay with him for a little while longer, to be with him without any strings attached. I feel as though I'm a puppet, controlled by the beliefs I was trained to protect and the fate I was taught to follow, and Reborn, Reborn is like a sharp blade, willing to cut me free from the strings that bind me. This feeling, this feeling is starting to scare me. Can I really throw away everything, for him? My brain says one thing, but my heart says another. The real question is:_

_Which one is right? _

A knock on the door snapped Tsunade back to reality. _That must be Keiko,_ she thought, putting down her towel and going to open the door. "Keiko-chan," she said, unlocking the door, "I was beginning to worry! Where have yo—"Tsunade opened the door and froze.

Instead of Keiko, on the other side of the door was Reborn, looking quite embarrassed.

"Reborn-kun?" Tsunade managed to say through her shock, "What're you doing here?"

"Well, you see, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I may need to stay in your room for the night."

_What?_

**Kureko and Keiko really are the ultimate power couple! (Well, at least until Reborn and Tsunade quit denying their feelings) They got Reborn and Tsunade exactly where they want them, and their elaborate plan isn't over yet. Next chapter will be longer and hopefully more interesting ;D!**

**PLEASE leave reviews! I have no idea what I'm doing and would REALLY appreciate any feedback you guys have!**


	17. Chapter 16

_What the hell is happening? _thought Tsunade, nervously shuffling a deck of cards on the queen-sized bed, trying to sort out her thoughts.

Reborn had explained how Kureko and Keiko had locked him out of his room (_That explains where Keiko has been for the past 3 hours) _and how after reviewing all the possible courses of action he could take, (_His excuses are very well thought out,_ thought Tsunade, _but I know that Kureko, his top strategist, would have another plan if Reborn managed to get back in the room and if Reborn roamed the halls, he might run into some of his clients, therefore destroying his image._) the only logical solution he could come up with was to stay with her for the night.

Just thinking about it nearly made the cards fly out of Tsunade's hands. _What are Kureko and Keiko trying to accomplish? _she wondered, realigning the cards absentmindedly and riffle shuffling in midair, _it's obvious that they're not doing this to spend the night together, though I doubt they were unhappy with that way that worked out, so why carry out this plan? It has an 87% chance of failing, so I don't know why they would still put it into action. Unless…their plan is more elaborate than I think._

The bathroom door opened, startling Tsunade out of her thoughts. "Ah, Reborn-kun," said Tsunade, barely managing to keep her voice even, "I trust that Iemitsu's blazer fits?"

"Yeah, it does," said Reborn, "It's a good thing that you accidently packed Iemitsu's blazer, huh?"

_Well, actually, I packed it in case I had to go undercover and I needed a bigger suit to hide more equipment, _thought Tsunade. "Yeah, a lucky coincidence," she said with a smile.

"I just wish I had my fedora," said Reborn with a sigh, running his fingers through his spiky black hair. Tsunade couldn't help but stare. _His hair, _she thought distantly, _I wonder if it's softer than it looks. _She shook her head and began shuffle the cards faster. _What are you thinking? _Tsunade chided herself.

"Since I'm properly dressed, I guess I can leave now," said Reborn, heading towards the door, "Sorry for bothering you."

Tsunade began springing the cards from hand to hand. _This is too easy, _she thought warily, _there has to be something more to thi—_

Suddenly the lights flickered for a split second and both of them heard a _click_, like a lock engaging.

Reborn walked to the door and tried to open it, but it didn't work. "What the—"he muttered.

The phone on the counter rang, causing Reborn to jump and Tsunade to drop her cards.

_There's the twist._

* * *

Reborn picked up the phone. "Who is this?" he demanded.

"Ah, Chaos-san," said the voice on the other end, "this is the hotel manager. It is with sincere apologies that we must inform you we are experiencing some technical difficulties. Because of a virus in the computer control system, all the doors on your floor have been automatically locked. Our technicians say that the complexity of the virus is astonishing, and that the problem may not be fixed until around 7 in the morning."

_7 am, huh? _thought Reborn, trying to keep his anger under control, _what a coincidence, or is it? I knew I wouldn't be able to get away that easily, but to go so far as to release a computer virus? Kureko is really serious about keeping me in here!_

"That's very inconveniencing," said Reborn coldly, "Please notify me as soon as you finish fixing the problem." He hung up and let out a frustrated sigh. _What is Kureko trying to accomplish? _he thought, irritated.

"Reborn-kun?"

Reborn looked over to where Tsunade was looking at him curiously. She had picked up the cards and was unconsciously spreading the cards over her arms and turning them over, revealing the suits of the cards before boxing them neatly into her hands again.

_Such skill, _thought Reborn in amazement, momentarily distracted, _and she's doing it all without thinking about the movements. Her skill is unparalleled by any other person I have ever met. _

_It's no wonder I fell for her._

He found himself studying Tsunade again. Her time in Tokyo has certainly caused her skin to pale considerably. Although she still looked slightly darker than a Tokyo native such as Keiko, her slight tan seemed to make her skin glow with a healthy shine. Other than that, everything else about her was pretty much the same. Her honey-golden eyes still shone with the undeniable intelligence she possessed, her silky light brown hair fell to her shoulders in soft, wavy locks, her lithe body, though it was in a relaxed position, seemed ready to react at any given moment, and her lips, her small pink lips, were moving, forming…words?

"Reborn-kun?" repeated Tsunade, confused, "What was the phone call about?"

Reborn shook himself out of his daze. "There's a problem with a computer control system," he said, "causing all the doors on our floor to automatically lock. They think the problem won't be fixed until morning."

He watched Tsunade begin to shuffle faster as she digested this information. _She understands that this means I have to stay here, _he thought, _and she's reacting nervously. Now, why would that be? Tsunade knows me well enough to know that I'm not…immoral, like Leoko is. So why is she acting so self-conscious around me? _

A realization hit him. _Is it possible, _he thought in shock, _that the way I always feel nervous around her, the way my heart can't help but speed up whenever I see her, could it be that…_

_Tsunade feels the same way? _

**(A/N- Yeah, I know that I'm probably interrupting the dramatic flow of the story, but I can't help but say, FINALLY, one of them has figured it out :D. I felt like the killer on Whodunnit, watching people randomly floundering around until SOMEONE figured it out.)**

He looked at Tsunade in a different light. _Kureko trapped me in here to give me a chance, _realized Reborn. He watched Tsunade one- handedly cut the deck and thought of a vague idea. _Well, _he thought, shrugging off Iemitsu's blazer, _since I'm already here, it would be a shame to let this moment slip by._

* * *

"You've been shuffling those cards for some time now," said Reborn, hanging the blazer on a coat rack.

Tsunade stopped shuffling and looked at the cards as if she just noticed them. "Oh yeah," she said, "Sorry, it's just a habit of mine."

"No, no, it's fine. You're actually very good at shuffling," said Reborn, causing Tsunade to blush slightly, "Since we're stuck here, why don't we play a few games?"

Tsunade began shuffling again. "You play?"

"Well, I usually do more than play," said Reborn, flashing a grin, "I win."

"Oh?" said Tsunade, arching a brow, interest rising, "If that's the case, then you obviously haven't played someone of my level before."

"We'll see about that." Reborn looked around and spotted a bowl of mints. "How much money do you have in cash right now?" he asked, counting the mints.

"Ummm, about 25,000 yen." **(A/N- About 250 USD) **

"Perfect," said Reborn, picking up the bowl and joining Tsunade on the bed, startling her slightly. He sat cross-legged and spread out the mints. "Obviously, I don't have any money right now," he said, "so we'll bet using these mints instead. One mint is equal to 1,000 yen, and each of us will start with 25 of them. We'll play until one of us has nothing left to bet." He looked at Tsunade. "Do you accept?"

"Sure," said Tsunade, beginning to deal the cards, "but I warn you, you don't know what you're getting yourself into."

_Depending on the way the games turn out, _thought Reborn, suppressing a fond smile at her naïveté, _it may be you who doesn't understand._

**Kureko's plan may have ended, but Reborn's has just started. (Hey, you shouldn't be too surprised that two great minds think alike) Next chapter may not come out for quite a while because I'm going on vacation again ^-^! Maybe I'll find time to type, maybe not. Anyway, thanks for reading and please leave reviews! **


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N- I feel ashamed at how long it took me to update, but I guess my vacation took a lot more of my time than I thought it would. Anyway, I forgot to mention that technically, chapters 16, 17, and (in the future) 18 are supposed to be one mega chapter, but since I'm taking all these vacations (it seems like parents want to stuff as many trips as they can before school starts) and breaks between chapters, I decided to upload it in three parts so the wait time won't be as long. Thanks for reading and being patient with me!**

* * *

The atmosphere in the room was tense. Tsunade glanced at the clock, reading the glowing red display.

_It's already 3:45 am, _she thought, _That means we've been playing for about four hours now. _

The last four hours were worthy of being aired as the World Series of Poker. Both of them were equally skilled, knowing exactly when and how much to bet and when to fold or raise. They simply kept winning and losing back and forth, neither of them gaining a distinct advantage.

Until Tsunade finally grew aware of Reborn's aura fifteen minutes ago, at least.

_He wasn't joking when he said he usually wins, _thought Tsunade, _I can't detect a single physical tell that gives away any hint of his hand. However… _She dealt the fifth card into the middle and felt a small flicker of dismay in Reborn's aura. Tsunade suppressed a smile. _You'll have to control more than your physical tells to win against someone like me._

She expertly lured him into betting the last 5 mints he had (_A small look of uncertainty can go a long way) _and they both revealed their cards.

Reborn groaned. "You won again?" he said in disbelief.

Tsunade smiled and gathered her winnings. "Yep," she said smugly, "You were hoping that the river card was the last card you needed to turn your full house into a four of a kind, weren't you?"

Reborn stared at her. "How did you…?" He shook his head and chuckled. "You really are good at poker."

Shuffling the cards, Tsunade felt her face heat up at his compliment. She muttered a 'thank you' and unconsciously began shuffling faster. _Never in a million years, _thought Tsunade, _would I have ever imagined that I would be locked in a hotel room by my best (and sort of only) friend and the top strategist of a criminal organization, then end up playing poker with the criminal mastermind that invited me in the first place._

_Then again, I never thought I would fall in love with my enemy either._

Tsunade stopped shuffling as she processed that thought, then she began shuffling again at an even faster pace.

_I just admitted it, _she realized in shock, _the one fact that I've been denying ever since this feeling began to develop:_

_I'm in love with Reborn._

Her heart sped up, as if it was rejoicing at her recent revelation, but the feeling didn't last long.

_Realizing my feelings is only the start of my problem, _she thought, her heart sinking, _even though I finally know how I feel, I still don't know how much I'm willing to sacrifice to follow my heart. Loving him would mean giving up everything, but how much would I gain? How do I know that I'm not only chasing after empty hopes? I feel as if I'm playing the final round of poker, where it's all or nothing._

"Tsunade?" said Reborn with a concerned look, "Are you ok?"

Tsunade forcibly pulled herself out of her thoughts and turned her attention to Reborn. "Yeah, I'm ok," she said with a slightly strained smile, "Why do you ask?"

Reborn looked at her skeptically. "In the past few hours, I figured out that when you're nervous or deep in thought, you shuffle faster, and right now," he pointed at her hands, "your hands are just a blur."

Tsunade looked at the cards she was shuffling at an unnatural speed and abruptly stopped. "My brother taught me to shuffle and play poker to relieve my stress when I felt like pressured or weighed down by expectations I was supposed to meet. I guess that's one habit I haven't fully controlled yet," she said sheepishly.

"Maybe it's a habit you should keep," said Reborn, surprising Tsunade.

_Why did he say that? _though Tsunade, shocked, _as a criminal, he knows better than anyone that even the smallest of habits can be used to read your behavior._

Reborn continued talking. "If it's a habit that was created by your time with your brother, then why let it go?" he said with a soft tone, "it's something he left for you in your mind, right?"

"I guess you're right," said Tsunade, thinking about Reborn's words. _My brother left me more than a habit, _she thought, _he left me a life, a life I never volunteered to have. I thought he gave me a straight path, but now it's been filled with strange twists that I could've never predicted. I change other people's fates, but can I change mine? In the end, I still don't know what my brother wanted, if he wanted me to follow the path he gave me, or to follow something else._

_The question still remains unanswered._

"So," said Reborn, jerking Tsunade out of her thoughts once again, "are you ready to play another round?"

"Another round?" said Tsunade, confused, "I thought you said we would play until one player was out of money to bet?"

"Not quite," said Reborn, smirking, "I said we would play until one of us had nothing left to bet. I still have one thing left I would like to wager."

They sat in silence for a few seconds before Tsunade arched a brow at him. "Sooo," she said slowly, "do you mind telling me what it is?"

"Oh, I don't mind," said Reborn, crossing his arms, his smirk growing wider, "but I don't think I will."

"So you plan on playing a game of poker where I don't even know what I'm trying to win?"

"That's the plan, yes."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and tried not to let out a frustrated sigh. _Was he always this infuriating? _she thought, slightly puzzled and annoyed. **(A/N- Sounds like the Reborn we all know and love XD)**

After staring at him for a few minutes, Tsunade sighed and began dealing the cards. _Obviously he's not planning on telling me anytime soon, _she thought, _so I guess the only way I can find out is if I take the gamble. _

As the game progressed, Tsunade continued to raise the bet, with Reborn matching it each time with his 'wager'."

_What is he playing at? _thought Tsunade suspiciously, _based off what I can infer off his aura, his hand is suffering this round. Normally, he would've folded already to minimize his losses, but he keeps on going like a novice. If that wasn't strange enough, though he feels dismayed when the card is dealt and it doesn't match his preferences, there's also a hint of…excitement? It's as if he wants to lose more than he wants to win. What's with all these elaborate plans today?! _Tsunade wanted to clutch her head and let out a frustrated scream. Instead, she yawned.

"Are you tired?" asked Reborn, concerned, "If you don't feel like playing anymore, we can stop."

Even as he said those words, Tsunade felt a hint of disappointment buried within his calm façade, causing her curiosity to peak.

"No, it's ok," she said, "I want to see how this ends."

Reborn grinned at her. "Same here," he said mysteriously.

Tsunade dealt the last card and checked her hand. A straight flush, nearly impossible to beat. Keeping a straight face, she raised the bet. "10 mints."

"Oh?" said Reborn, his secretive smile still on his face, "Bringing the grand total to 45, I see."

Tsunade expected him to take this last chance and fold, knowing that his hand probably was horrible, but he surprised her once again.

"I match your bet," he said.

Stunned, Tsunade blinked at him for a few seconds. "Are you sure?" she said in disbelief.

"As sure as I've ever been," said Reborn confidently.

Tsunade eyed him suspiciously before muttering, "If you say so."

They revealed their cards, Reborn's double pair paling in comparison to Tsunade's straight flush.

Reborn chuckled and leaned back. "I lost again," he said, not even slightly disappointed with his loss.

_I was right about his hand, _thought Tsunade, gathering up the cards and beginning to shuffle them again, speeding up as her uneasy feeling grew, _it was a novice move to keep on playing even though his hand suffered, one Reborn wouldn't usually make._ She stared down at the cards intensely._ Did he make the gamble because he was hoping to win some money back through an empty bet? No, that doesn't fit his personality or his behavior. He wanted to lose, but why?_

"Since I lost, I guess I have to pay up now. Forty-five, was it?" said Reborn, his voice sounding closer than it was a little while ago. Startled, Tsunade looked up and realized that while she was immersed in her thoughts, Reborn had closed the distance between them until they were face to face. She froze, cards springing out of her hands and onto the floor, forgotten.

"Re-reborn?" stammered Tsunade, "Wha-what are you do—"

Before she could finish, Reborn leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to hers. Tsunade's eyes widened as she realized what was happening.

_Wh-what? _thought Tsunade, slowly losing her ability to piece together coherent thoughts. She tried to pull away, but Reborn's hand had reached the back of her neck in her few seconds of confusion and was gently pushing her forward, deepening the kiss. Her training was screaming at her to fight back, but her body wasn't responding. Instead, she felt herself relax just as she did earlier at the jewelry shop and her mind went blank once again.

* * *

Finally, Reborn pulled away, leaving her gasping for air. "Wha-wha—?" she tried ask, but her breathlessness felt even more overwhelming than it did earlier. Reborn saw the question reflected in her eyes and chuckled in response. He leaned in closer so that his lips were barely brushing her ear and whispered with a smirk,

"That was one."

**A/N- Yay! Excitement! XD Unfortunately, I'm going on yet another vacation, so the next chapter won't be out for quite a while. Also, since school is starting, the time between updates will be significantly longer, so please bear with me. **

**R&R please! Thanks to inarachi01 for reviewing my story so far! Your support helps me find inspiration to keep typing!**


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N- Did you guys enjoy the cliffhanger I left at the end of chapter 17? ;D Sorry about the long wait, I'm gradually becoming more and more busy, so bear with me please! Just thought I needed a disclaimer at the beginning, since obviously, considering the position they're in…well… yea. So to clarify, it isn't that bad, but it is a bit limey, so if that type of stuff disturbs you, RED FLASHY LIGHTS AND LOUD SIRENS DON'T READ THIS CHAPTER! If you don't read this chapter, you'll still be able to understand **_**most**_** of the rest of the story. Without further ado, I give you, the long awaited, chapter 18 :D!**

* * *

Reborn watched in amusement as Tsunade's foggy brain attempted to process his words.

"Wha-what do you mean, 'that was one'?" she asked between deep breaths of air, still attempting to catch her breath.

"Think about it," said Reborn teasingly. He leaned in closer, his amused obsidian black eyes staring into her confused honey golden ones. Reborn felt Tsunade stiffen, but she held his gaze as calmly as she could. "I know you're smart enough to figure it out," he said softly.

Reborn almost laughed at Tsunade's expression as the realization dawned upon her. The emotion in her eyes quickly changed, and now she was glaring at him with something that wasn't quite fury, but dangerously close.

"Your wager," she growled, "You didn't bet any normal gambling prize, did you? You used my curiosity to play a risky game so that I would agree to whatever it was you were betting without me knowing what it was."

"Right on the mark," said Reborn, bending down and giving her a quick peck on the lips, causing her to blush again. "Two."

"H-hey!" stammered Tsunade, trying to maintain her angry tone, "Y-you can't do that!"

"And why not?" said Reborn, close enough for Tsunade to feel his warm breath on her lips with every word, "I lost, so I'm paying up what I owe, simple as that. Plus," he leaned back slightly to take in her whole face, "you look cute when you're mad."

Tsunade flushed even darker. "Technically, this bet could be considered invalid," she muttered, trying to look away from Reborn, fearing that if she kept staring, all the anger would drain out of her.

"Both parties agreed to the bet, whether they knew what was being wagered or not," said Reborn, "so the bet is valid. Besides, you're not quite in the right position to argue."

If Tsunade could flush any darker, she did as she finally took notice of the fact that her arms were pinned above her and that Reborn had effectively trapped her underneath. She fell silent.

Reborn gently turned her face back towards him, and she surprisingly complied. The anger had disappeared from her eyes, replaced by many questions instead. She was unusually unguarded, her normally suppressed thoughts and feelings reflected in her eyes. Tsunade stared at Reborn evenly for a few moments. Then, she spoke in a soft voice that hid so much more.

"What if I lost, _Renato_?"

Reborn's breath hitched at the sound of his given name, the name his parents had placed all their hopes and expectations on, the name that his parents learned to associate their bitter disappointment with, the name he could never live up to, the name he escaped to finally be free. He hated that name, but hearing it from Tsunade, the way it fell so smoothly from her lips, the way she pronounced it perfectly without a single nuance off, nothing ever sounded more…right.

"I think it would've ended this way anyway," Reborn whispered. He leaned in and kissed her again, this time met with no resistance, but with hesitant acceptance instead. Tsunade closed her eyes and relaxed her jaw, allowing Reborn to slip his tongue in and explore her mouth even further. A familiar feeling flooded him, making him feel almost, giddy.

_The thrill, _he thought,_ it has never felt so exciting before. I feel like I can throw away the company, my fame, my fortune, my whole lifestyle, if it meant I could feel this way for just a moment longer. Kureko was right; those fleeting chances really mean nothing to me. I don't need those things, I just need this thrill. No,_

_I just need her._

Reborn pulled away with a soft 'three' when it seemed like Tsunade needed air. He couldn't help but smile lovingly at her flushed features as she gasped for air once more. The more he looked at her, the more he desperately wanted her to be his, solely his.

_But I can't make her completely mine yet, _he thought sadly, seeing a flicker of fear in Tsunade's turbulent expression.

"Don't worry," he said gently, guiltily feeling a stab of disappointment, "I am a man of my word. Forty-five was our bet, no more, no less."

He could see relief in her eyes, then guilt for even thinking that he would try such a thing. Reborn could feel his heart tug longingly.

_So bright, so beautiful._

He traced her jawline with a slender finger before leaning in and replacing his finger with his mouth. Reborn felt Tsunade shiver and let out a small moan, and he smiled.

"Try to breathe through your nose this time," he said, before kissing her once again.

* * *

Tsunade was lost.

She couldn't think straight, her normally sharp mind moving sluggishly. Her body no longer seemed to be in her control, responding and reacting in a way that was utterly foreign to her. Tsunade had completely lost control of the situation and herself, her voice of reason completely gone.

And she liked it.

She had long lost track of how much time had passed, her internal senses and instincts shut down. All she knew was Reborn, no, was _Renato. _Tsunade had thrown out his name as sort of a last defense, a last denial of what she really wanted, because she knew there was a painful history behind that name that he prohibited others to even touch upon. But he had let her whisper that name, her and only her, and she could feel the soft and passionate aura that shrouded him with every loving touch, every gentle word, and every adoring look. Tsunade had seen couples with that delicate, yet strong, aura, but she never thought she would feel that way towards anyone else, let alone anyone would ever feel that way towards her. She may have been conflicted before, but now she finally knew,

She loved Reborn with all her heart, and nothing would ever change that.

Her fears and worries melted away, leaving nothing but _Renato_, and she knew that was all she'll ever need.

Tsunade vaguely noticed that Reborn had loosened his hold on her arms, and she propped herself up without breaking the kiss. She obviously was new at this, but Tsunade was known to be a fast learner in everything, and, as she tentatively began to kiss him back, this was no exception. Reborn faltered for a second, slightly surprised, but then he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her even more fervently. She ran her fingers through his jet-black hair, marveling how soft it was despite its sharp appearance.

_Sort of like Renato himself, _she thought.

* * *

All her life, she had been second just because she was born a few seconds behind her brother. While her brother grew and flourished in the spotlight, she had trained in the shadows where no one could care less about her. She had been expected to stay out of her brother's path, to forever hide in his shadow, unknown, insignificant. Her brother was the one fated for greatness, while she was nothing but a tool who had to do anything to make sure her brother would succeed. Tsunayoshi was the brilliant pure white rose, and she was the black rose, tainted by the things the light wouldn't dare touch. Tsunade admitted it, she had been bitter, twisted from being ignored and treated as inferior, but her brother knew one thing no one else did, not even her. He knew that she wanted to be happy, to be number one to someone else, and he had given her a chance to do what she really wanted. Because of her brother, she had met Reborn. This fedora-wearing, suit-donning, ebony black-eyed and spiky black-haired saw her as his world, his everything, his number one, and she felt the exact same way towards him.

Tsunade was finally, truly happy

And she knew what her final decision was.

* * *

Reborn gently pulled away and whispered, "43," quietly into her ear. He moved down to where her jawline met her neck and lightly bit her caramel skin, causing Tsunade to wince slightly. **(A/N- Again, totally ruining the mood of the story, but I would like to point out that the sentence after "43" is technically "44". Just wanted to point that out since after proofreading this chapter, I think that the numbers may have gotten a bit confusing.)**

"What was that for?"

Reborn looked at her with his telltale smirk on his face. "That was a little souvenir," he said playfully.

Tsunade flushed dark red again. _I hate it when he says little things like that that make me so flustered, _she thought, though she couldn't contain a burst of fondness for his wit and charm.

They shared one last sweet kiss before reluctantly pulling away with a regretful "45." Tsunade couldn't contain the small twinge of disappointment she felt, but her eyelids were already drooping from fatigue. She laid down on the bed with Reborn's arms curled around her. Before she fell asleep, she mumbled, "_Renato,"_ and felt Reborn's arms squeeze her just a tiny bit tighter. Tsunade smiled, and enjoyed the sense of warmth and security that followed her even in her dreams.

* * *

**A/N- YAYYYYY! I'M FINALLY DONE WITH THIS CHAPTER! XD I actually had a lot of difficulty writing this chapter and am super glad to have finished it, even if it is almost 1 am (apparently all my creativity shows up late at night =_=). I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be shorter, but you know me, it'll probably become pretty long. Thank you so much to **_**Freedom of Trapped **_**for reviewing the story so far! **

**R&R GUYS! :D**


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N- Yep, leave it to me to turn a chapter that I said would be short into the longest chapter I've written so far =_=. I stuffed a lot of content in here and I'm actually really surprised and happy that I finished before the three day weekend was up. Enjoy ^-^!**

* * *

Tsunade was woken up by a ringing sound at the edge of her subconscious. She blinked her eyes open blearily, momentarily disorientated by her surroundings. Then she felt the warm solid figure next to her and a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, and she smiled happily as the memories of last night flooded back to her. She snuggled into Reborn's chest and nearly fell asleep again, when the ringing sound jolted her awake again. Slightly annoyed, Tsunade carefully removed herself from Reborn's embrace and got out of bed to answer the phone.

"Hello?" she said groggily.

"Hello? Is this Reborn Chaos-san?" said an important and sophisticated-sounding voice on the other end.

_It must be the manager, _thought Tsunade. "No, this is Kudo Tsunade, Is there something I can help you with?" she said, mustering the most polite tone she could while trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end, and Tsunade's sleep hazed mind finally processed what a girl answering the phone in the same room where Reborn was locked in _all night _might be causing the manager to assume.

"O-oh no, I—," she stuttered, blushing furiously as she tried to correct herself.

"No, no, I won't pry into my client's private affairs," said the manager uncomfortably, causing Tsunade to blush even more, "I just wanted to inform Chaos-san that we apologize for the wait, but the lock problem has been fixed. It took a bit longer than expected and we're sorry about the inconvenience."

"Oh, that's fine," said Tsunade awkwardly, "Thank you for informing us." She heard a 'click' as the manager hung up and she put the phone down with a sigh.

_Well that was awkward, _she thought, embarrassed. Tsunade let out another sigh and picked up the hair brush on the counter, brushing her soft brown hair. Unlike her brother, whose hair always seemed to defy gravity by sticking up at the oddest angles possible, her hair was almost perfectly straight, save one small curve where she usually pulled her hair into a ponytail.

_Tsuna-nii…_

She felt a sharp pang of guilt as she thought of her brother and the decision she was about to make.

_I really am going to give it up, _she thought sadly, _I'm going to give up on putting my family's worries to rest and choose my own path instead of the one that was dictated for me to follow. The guilt is nearly unbearable, gnawing at my very being. But Tsuna-nii…I have to believe what Tsuna-nii wanted me to do. Even while I was drowning in expectations and darkness, he still loved me enough to try so hard to let me have the life I longed for. Tsunayoshi…even though I had been jealous of him, I still loved him. He was not only my family's light, he was my light too, and the day he died was when my world was plunged into darkness. I swore to fulfill his wish, to do anything to bring that light back. But…_she looked fondly at the gently pulsating aura surrounding the figure with charcoal pointy hair still sleeping on the bed, _who would've guessed that my light would come into my life as a criminal mastermind who I was trying to destroy?_

* * *

Tsunade craned her neck to the side, about to brush her hair over her shoulder and up into a loose ponytail, when she froze, noticing a small, and reddish- purple mark near her ear where Reborn had bit.

_So this is what he meant by a souvenir, _she thought, rubbing the mark self-consciously. She briefly considered later asking Keiko to cover it up with makeup, but the thought of Keiko getting near her with any form of cosmetics ever again made her shudder. Letting go of her hair, she noticed that with her hair down, the wispy locks managed to hide the hickey quite effectively.

_I haven't let my hair down in public for a long time, since many of my disguises involve my long bangs covering my face, making it quite recognizable, _she thought, _but I haven't used any of those disguises in a while, so it should be fine._

Tsunade had been so preoccupied by her thoughts that she nearly missed the sudden presence behind her. Instinctively, she whirled around and threw a punch at whoever was standing behind her. A callused hand caught her fist, surprising her, and pulled Tsunade into an embrace. She heard a familiar chuckle and relaxed.

"Well that's the first time I woke up and a girl immediately tried to punch me," said Reborn jokingly, "Usually, that comes later."

Tsunade flushed dark red and looked down, embarrassed. "Sorry," she muttered.

She heard Reborn chuckle again and felt his hand gently pull her chin up, his obsidian eyes staring mirthfully at her. "Don't apologize," he said softly, an undertone in his voice that made her shiver, "it's one of the things that makes you so special."

Tsunade blushed even more. "Th-the manager called, saying th-that the lock problem was f-fixed," she stammered, silently cursing herself for being unable to say a sentence without stuttering.

Reborn arched a brow. "And?"

"A-and, w-well, I guess, y-you can g-go back now," said Tsunade, feeling a slight twinge of disappointment even as she said those words.

Reborn simply laughed quietly, startling her.

"W-what? W-what's so funny?" demanded Tsunade.

Reborn's laughing subsided, and he looked at her adoringly. "You're so cute," he said. He then leaned forward, claiming her in a deep kiss and sliding his tongue through her parted lips. After Tsunade got over her initial shock, she began kissing him back, moaning as his tongue swept over a particularly sensitive part of her mouth. Tsunade clutched his shirt as she slowly lost herself to him again, lust beginning to cloud her judgment. They backed up until Tsunade was bent slightly over the counter. She made a small sound of dismay when Reborn pulled away, much to his amusement.

_She's just so fun to tease, _he thought wickedly. He moved over and nipped the side of her neck in the exact same place a bit harder this time, eliciting a soft "ah" from Tsunade. Reborn looked into Tsunade's eyes with an expression that he would only ever let her see.

"What if I don't want to go back just yet?" he asked huskily.

Tsunade gripped his shirt tighter, matching his intense gaze. "_Renato_, I—"

At that moment, the door burst open, revealing a very enthusiastic Keiko (as usual) and Kureko, looking slightly apologetic. "Yayy!" exclaimed Keiko, "The locks are fixed! Now we can—"

She abruptly shut up as she took in the position Reborn and Tsunade were in, Kureko gawking at them with an astonished expression. The four of them froze for a moment, staring at each other in disbelief, and then Keiko and Kureko fell to the ground in laughter for the third time since the vacation started.

* * *

"AHAHAHAHA!" laughed Kureko, already beginning to double over in laughter, "Oh gosh, I can't believe the plan actually worked so well! It looks like I owe you 1,000 yen, Keiko!"

Tsunade promptly unclutched Reborn's shirt and they stepped apart, both of them flushed dark red, looking extremely embarrassed.

_I completely forgot Keiko had a room key with her! _thought Tsunade, mortified.

Keiko wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, giggling so hard she could barely breathe. "I told you they would overcome their awkwardness!" she said, laughter making her words nearly incoherent, "I guess last night was an interesting one, right Tsunade-chan?"

"We didn't do anything!" blurted out Tsunade, earning dubious looks from the other couple. She flushed even darker. "Well, not that much, at least," she muttered, sending Kureko and Keiko into another uproar of laughter.

Finally, after several minutes of Keiko and Kureko rolling around laughing their heads off and Tsunade and Reborn watching them awkwardly, Kureko finally got enough self-control back to stand up, clutching his aching ribs.

"I doubt I've ever laughed this much in my life," said Kureko, helping Keiko up.

"Me too," said Keiko, also regaining control of herself. She turned towards Reborn. "As much as I know you would love to stay here with Tsunade-chan," she said, causing him to blush even more, "our train leaves at noon and it's already nine o'clock. It takes nearly ten hours to get back to Tokyo, and I don't want to risk missing one of the train transfers. You'll just need to bear separating from her for a few hours while we pack and get ready."

Reborn, shaking himself out of his daze, touched Tsunade's arm one last time, his fingers leaving small pinpricks of warmth that spread throughout her body. He then quickly walked out of the door, pulling Kureko with him and, shooting one last backward glance, closed the door behind him.

The moment the door completely shut, Tsunade immediately knew she was in trouble. If the naughty glint in Keiko's eyes and her sly grin weren't warnings enough, her mischievous and dark aura that could only be compared to a demon's made alarms go off in every corner of her mind.

Keiko stepped closer to Tsunade who, unfortunately, was still against the counter, and whispered in a voice that would make even the greatest Interpol agents want to cower and hide, "Now, I expect every detail of what happened last night, and you better not dare leave anything out."

Tsunade felt her throat go dry.

_Shit._

* * *

Meanwhile, Reborn and Kureko were walking down the hall, oblivious to the extreme interrogation that had just started in the room they left five seconds ago. They walked in silence, though one of Kureko's snickers occasionally escaped into the empty hallway, annoying Reborn.

_What I would give for my guns right now, _thought Reborn, irritated, _or a two-ton mallet, that could work too. _

He settled for shoving Kureko into the wall instead.

"Ow!" complained Kureko, a look of mock hurt on his face, "How could you be so rough to me when you're so gentle to Tsunade-chan?"

"Shut up," growled Reborn, though a hint of a blush crept into his cheeks, "I have one question for you: why'd you go so far as to release a _virus _into the whole hotel system? The police could've been on to you if the hotel manager wasn't so arrogant that he dismissed it as a system problem to avoid publicity."

Kureko rubbed his sore arm, still grinning. "Come on, you already know the answer to that," he said, "I did it to keep you in that room. My planning always covers all the possibilities, and the virus eliminated almost all of them. Now, since we seem to be asking questions, I have one for you." His grin faded slightly and his tone became serious. "When are you going to tell Leoko?"

Reborn sighed. "As soon as possible, I guess," he said with a hint of sadness, "He'll want all the time he can get to prepare the company."

"I told him to meet us in the lobby at 11," said Kureko, "It'll be a good time to talk to him." Kureko put his hand reassuringly on Reborn's shoulder. "Look," he said hesitantly, "I know I haven't been your friend and business partner as long as Leoko has, but I think you're making the right choice."

"Thanks, Kureko," said Reborn with a smile, "I hope I am too."

* * *

Packed and ready to leave, the four of them were laughing and talking in the lobby, with the subject of last night being the main point, of course.

"Was the bed soft?" asked Kureko slyly, "Because I heard you two were sleeping so soundly in it together last night."

Keiko and Kureko had been relentlessly bombarding them with these sorts of questions since Kureko had received Tsunade's confession of everything that happened last night from Keiko (causing him to drop his suitcase on his foot and let out a cry of a mixture of laughter and pain.) Despite being stuck in such a bleak situation, Reborn and Tsunade managed to find their own way of retaliation.

"You wouldn't know," said Reborn, his smirk widening, "because you two were _too busy_ last night to enjoy how soft the bed was."

Kureko and Keiko both blushed, causing Reborn and Tsunade to laugh this time, which was a nice turn of events.

"Why don't you ask the room below you?" said Tsunade between giggles, "Maybe they'll be able to guess by how much the mattress was squeaking. These mattresses are pretty high quality though, so the springs would only squeak if a _very strong force _was being exerted on it." Both of them dissolved into laughter again as Kureko and Keiko turned as red as a ripe tomato. **(A/N- Sweet, sweet, revenge XD)**

When the laughter finally died down, they heard a familiar easy-going voice.

"Well it looks like I really missed something," said Leoko, grinning, "I guess you all had an interesting night."

The two couples blushed again, and Leoko laughed. He sauntered over to where Tsunade was and draped an arm over her shoulder, causing her to stiffen.

"It seems like you're officially off the market now, Tsunade-chan," he said in a sad tone. "But," he said perking up, "if you're ever lonely some nights, feel free to call and I'll be right over to—"

Reborn cleared his throat, catching Leoko's attention. "I need to have a word with you in private," he said, gesturing to a table in the corner.

"Sure," said Leoko cheerfully. He withdrew his arm (much to Tsunade's relief) and followed Reborn over to the table, leaving the other three alone (much to Tsunade's dismay).

* * *

Leoko took a seat and casually leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. "So what do you want to talk about?" he asked.

Reborn seemed nervous, which struck Leoko as odd since Reborn almost never let any uneasiness show when he was talking. "It's about the company—"began Reborn.

"Ah, so you've gained some valuable information last night, didn't you?" said Leoko happily.

"Well, no, that's not—"Reborn tried to say something, but Leoko wasn't listening.

"I would expect as much from you, seeing how much time you had."

"That's not—"

"I bet you had a lot of fun last night, didn't you?"

"Well—"

"Once you've got them wrapped around your little finger, they're just so easy to manipulate."

"Leoko, listen—"

"No matter how tough they seem to be, the information just comes spilling out once they give in to charm."

"No, just listen—"

"Maybe I'll have a little fun with Tsunade-chan before you—"

"I'm resigning from the organization."

That finally caught Leoko's attention. "What?" asked Leoko, thinking that he didn't hear that right.

Reborn sighed. "I'm resigning from my position as the leader of the organization."

There was a brief moment of silence, then Leoko burst into laughter. "Nice one, Reborn," he said, "I almost believed that you actually were—"

"I'm not joking."

Leoko abruptly stopped laughing.

"I don't want to use Tsunade as a tool anymore," said Reborn wearily, "She's nothing like the other informants we had. There's something about her that's special, and I want to be with her because of those special qualities, not because I want information."

"I can't believe it," said Leoko, shaking his head in disbelief, "You're giving up such a large investment, such a huge part of your life, just for _a girl_?"

"Yes, I believe that's what I've been saying."

Leoko grabbed Reborn's shoulders, his face contorted with rage. "Stop messing with me!" he hissed, "If you give up this company, you'll be worthless! Everything you've worked for and achieved will disappear in an instant! We both know your parents won't take back such a disappointment like you! You'll have nothing!"

Reborn flinched at Leoko's words, and for a split second, Leoko thought that Reborn would change his mind, but Reborn looked at Leoko with an unwavering calm gaze.

"You're wrong," said Reborn, breaking away from Leoko's grasp and standing up, "I won't lose everything."

He began walking to where the others were, but stopped, turning to face Leoko one more time. "I'll have Tsunade," said Reborn softly, "and that's all I'll need."

* * *

Leoko, his fist clenched in rage, barely managed to flip open his phone and dial a specific number.

"Hello, Leoko-san," answered a voice on the other end, "How may I be of assistance?"

"I need you to find more information on Kudo Tsunade," he said coldly, "Find anything you can that involves her, and don't leave a single thing out."

"Yes sir," the other man hung up.

_How dare you leave our organization, _thought Leoko, seething with rage, _how could you dare forget that it was I who helped you escape! _

He calmed himself down, knowing that he couldn't let all his anger escape yet.

_I'm the one who turned you into what you are today, Renato, _he thought angrily, _and until I'm finished with you, you're not leaving anytime soon._

* * *

_What could they be talking about? _wondered Tsunade, shooting a backwards glance at where Reborn was.

Keiko, noticing the gesture, smirked and quipped, "What, worried about Leoko stealing your boyfriend?"

Tsunade blushed and was about to retort with something involving what Kureko does on busy nights, when a sudden malicious aura filled the room, causing Tsunade to clutch her head in pain.

_What, what a strong aura, _she thought, gritting her teeth, _The anger and hatred is so thick that I can almost touch it. Only feelings boxed up for a long period of time would be this intense, but who could hold in such harsh feelings for so long?_

Then, as quick as it came, it disappeared. Tsunade groaned and opened her eyes that she had reflexively squeezed shut. As her vision cleared, she saw Keiko and Kureko looking at her with concerned expressions, and Reborn with his arm around her, supporting her.

"Are you ok?" asked Reborn, worried, "What happened?"

Tsunade smiled. "Oh nothing, just a sudden head pain," she lied, "I thought you were talking to Leoko."

"I was," said Reborn, not quite believing her, "I just finished and was walking back when I saw you nearly collapse."

Kureko dropped his worried look and grinned at Reborn. "Oi, be gentler next time, Reborn-kun," he said, "That way we don't have to worry about her collapsing on us."

The conversation quickly became light again, and soon they were joking as usual. However, Tsunade couldn't quick shake off her uneasiness.

_That aura was very strong, _she thought, _strong enough to fill such a huge room like this. That's not the worrying part though. _Tsunade looked back at the table where Leoko was still sitting. _Though I didn't have much time to pinpoint where the aura came from, I could've sworn it came from…Leoko? No, It couldn't be, _

_could it?_

* * *

There once was a boy.

His family had tons of money, so he always lived his life in luxury. He had tons of friends and lots of girls who would give anything just to spend a moment in his presence. His handsome features were a gift from the heavens, and the mere sound of his voice could make anyone kneel before him. The spoiled little boy thought he had won at the game of life, with everything anyone could ever want right in the palm of his hand.

Then it all changed when a new family came to town.

The new neighbors were even more powerful and rich than the little boy's family was. Not only that, but the heir to the business had even more charm than the boy, his dark looks making the girls that used to only see the boy swoon. All the little boy's so called friends immediately flocked to the new kid's side once they learned of his giant fortune, leaving the little boy alone. Not long after that, the little boy's mother grew ill and died, leaving his father devastated. The once glorious company began to crumble, and bills were stacking up for the first time. His father soon had to sell the company to the same company that destroyed them, and looked for a new job…in the house of the new family. The little boy now had nothing, his once powerful father now working in the employment of the company that destroyed them. Time moved on, and soon, the boy's bitter feelings grew with him. He hated the black haired heir of the company who had the life that should've belonged to him. On the day of his thirteenth birthday, the little boy, now a teen, made a vow.

He would destroy Renato Chaos if it was the last thing he did.

The teen, now also working around the house too, learned from the whispers that Renato was considered a failure to his parents, and an idea began to sprout.

What if he gave a chance to Renato to escape the expectations of his parents and become successful himself? Renato definitely had the power to create his own organization, and as his partner, the teen would regain all the fame and wealth he lost all those years ago.

The idea became an obsession, and the teen made a choice: he would use Renato to regain all the things he lost because of the Chaos family, and once Renato's usefulness was used up,

He would get rid of him.

Years of accumulated hatred and bitterness fueled the teen to approach the heir, becoming quick friends with him. The teen left small hints about Renato breaking away from his family, and, in a rare moment of weakness, finally fully convinced the heir to leave and enter a whole new business in the criminal world. The heir was none the wiser, and began to trust the teen wholeheartedly. The night before they ran away, Renato, who began going by the name Reborn, asked the now 16 year old teen his full name. The teen smiled his signature fake smile and replied,

"Mouri Leoko."

* * *

**A/N- Leoko's true colors are revealed XD! Thanks to **_**smileysparklea and Saaniser **_**for reviewing, and to _yuriko. hueixin _****for reviewing AND giving me some of the inspiration for the chapter :D! Next chapter may be a while, but stay tuned!**

**R&R GUYS! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! XDD**


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N- SO SO SO SO SO SORRY about the long wait! School is already starting to take its toll on me and my free time has been cut down drastically. Again, I am typing this at 1:30 am when all my creative juices that don't bother to show up in the morning have appeared =_=. Anyway, I hope you like it :D!**

* * *

The stunning view of the blooming cherry blossoms blurred together slightly as the train sped past the green fields. It was an unnaturally perfect day, with small puffy white clouds occasionally punctuating the striking pure blue sky.

_The beauty of nature never fails to amaze me, _thought Tsunade in awe, staring absentmindedly out the window with her chin propped up on her arm, _the intricate patterns of the natural environment usurps any possible man-made creation. Even so, _she turned around for a second to look at their train compartment, _some man-made inventions are still pretty breathtaking. _

Again, she was marveling at the amount of money that must've gone into this whole trip. Somehow, Reborn had managed to reserve a private cabin on the train, which was significantly nicer than the other compartments, complete with a solid mahogany table in the corner and soft leather seats lining both sides. Kureko, Keiko and Reborn were sitting at the table, apparently discussing plans for the rest of the week they had off.

Tsunade sighed and turned her attention back to the window. Though she was trying to distract herself, she couldn't completely silence the nagging thought in the back of her mind.

_That ominous aura…_

Just thinking about it made her wince. She still remember the way it had robbed her of her breath of an instant, her head feeling like millions of razor sharp needles were being violently shoved into her skull. The intense hatred had seemed to fill every corner of the room, sending chills down her back.

_How can anyone hold so much anger and hate inside of them? _thought Tsunade, _especially if it's…Leoko._

Since the release of emotion had only lasted for a second, she didn't have time to pinpoint exactly who the aura belonged to. However, through the haze of pain, she was able to find that the feeling was the strongest around the table in the corner—the one where Leoko had been standing at.

When Leoko told them that he had more things to do in Hokkaido and would take a later train, Tsunade couldn't help but feel even more uneasy. His behavior had seemed normal, (He even tried to get a goodbye kiss from Keiko, a request that was met by murderous glares from Kureko) but someone that could hold in so much fury for so long was bound to be a good actor.

Tsunade fiddled with her necklace. _I really don't want to believe it was Leoko, _she thought sadly, _Though he's been a bit too straightforward, I really have come to think of him as a friend. But…they say only a person himself knows his true intentions. Is it possible that I've profiled him wrong?_

While she was pondering these troubled thoughts, she felt a familiar presence approach her. She smiled and put the thoughts away to deal with later as Reborn took the seat next to her.

"I didn't know admiring the scenery required such intense concentration," joked Reborn. His grin faded a bit and was replaced by look of concern. "Something on your mind?"

"It's nothing," assured Tsunade, "I was just thinking of Leoko. He seemed a bit—off."

"Ah," said Reborn, a sad smile on his face, "So you noticed." He leaned against the window and let out a small sigh. "Leoko has been my friend ever since we were young," he said distantly, as if he were looking back into the past, "His father's company had gone bankrupt, so he moved into my family manor to work as a servant. It was Leoko who convinced me to walk my own path away from the expectations of my parents." Reborn's eyes softened and he looked at Tsunade. "And even if our paths diverge, I'll eternally be grateful to him for allowing me to pursue what—and who—I want."

Tsunade blushed. "So, is Leoko also of mixed heritage then?" she asked, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Yeah," said Reborn, "His father was Japanese and his mother was Italian. That's why his name is so unusual, it's like a Japanese twist on _Leonardo _or _Leo._"

Tsunade was about to respond with a comment about how Leonardo was actually a name of Germanic origin when Keiko walked over.

"Hey there, lovebirds!" said Keiko cheerfully, "We'll be arriving at our next station in thirty minutes. From there, we'll transfer trains again and then it'll be a straight trip to Tokyo."

Tsunade stood up. "I probably should call Iemitsu-kun and tell him when we'll get back," she said, pulling out her cellphone and walking out into the aisle. As she went into the private compartment, she felt her heart lurch guiltily as she thought of what she had to tell Iemitsu.

_I've made my decision, _thought Tsunade sadly, _I just hope he'll understand._

* * *

Iemitsu smothered a small cough as he drove over to Tsunade's apartment.

_Well, most of my cold is gone now, _thought Iemitsu, _though I know Tsunade will freak out if she hears me cough or sneeze once._

He chuckled fondly as he remembered the call he got from Tsunade a few hours ago. She had spent three-fourths of the call fretting over him and only a few minutes asking him to come over to her apartment when she got home at 10:21 pm (_She always had a thing for calculating when exactly she would arrive somewhere._) to discuss something.

Iemitsu parked his car and began walking up the stairs, wondering what Tsunade could possibly want to talk to him about.

_She could've gotten more evidence against Reborn, _thought Iemitsu, _Knowing her, she probably wouldn't have wasted such a huge opportunity to collect information. However, there was an undertone in her voice that sounded almost…guilty, as if she had done something wrong._

Iemitsu stopped in front of Tsunade's apartment and let himself in with the spare key she gave in. He stepped in and took in the nearly-empty room, the only item that had not been provided by the landlords was her keyboard set up in the corner. Iemitsu looked at his watch. It was 10' o clock, 21 minutes left until he could see her again. Walking over to the couch, he paused next to a small table that had a single photo frame on it. He picked it up and smiled. It was a picture of him and Tsunade together when she was 16 and he was 17, the first picture she let him take of her. She wore the beautiful smile that still took away his breath today. Holding the picture frame, he sat on the couch and thought back to when they first met—

And when he had first fallen in love.

* * *

The first impression that 16-year old Iemitsu had on the girl who was now his sister was that she seemed horribly secluded.

Dark and secretive, Kudo Tsunade had kept to herself, silently analyzing her surroundings while staying hidden in the shadows. Iemitsu had tried talking to her, but he had only gotten distant, cold responses. Their foster parent (and Tsunade's great-aunt) had told him to be patient and gentle with Tsunade because she had been through a lot, but Iemitsu couldn't help but feel put off by her stiff attitude, never talking unless it was absolutely necessary. Iemitsu was extremely outgoing and was very good at getting people to open up, but Tsunade's icy shield around her heart seemed impenetrable. He was nearly going to give up on her when the event happened.

They were walking to school one morning, with Iemitsu was trying to engage Tsunade in a conversation that lasted longer than five words as usual. Iemitsu was talking nearly one-sidedly about a new fencing club at school and how she would be great at it when they arrived at a street crossing. Iemitsu had stopped when he saw a car driving towards them—but Tsunade didn't.

"Look out!" shouted Iemitsu. He leaped forward and yanked Tsunade out of the car's path, earning a loud honk from the driver. Tsunade toppled onto Iemitsu.

"What were you doing?" snapped Iemitsu, "You could've gotten yourself killed!"

He was about to say more when he heard a soft sob. Surprised, he looked at Tsunade and saw tears running down her face.

"If I had gotten hit, would I have felt what they felt?" asked Tsunade softly. Another sob escaped from her lips as she looked towards Iemitsu, her normally blank eyes suddenly filled with anger. "Why didn't you let me get hit?!" she yelled, "Why didn't you let me feel what they felt?!" Her shoulders slumped and she looked down, the tears streaming down uncontrollably. "It's all my fault, all my fault."

Iemitsu's eyes softened. _She still blames herself for her family's death, _he realized. He remembered mourning his mother's death, blaming his dad for never being there, blaming the fugitive who had stabbed her on the street in desperation, blaming the people that passed by the alleyway without hearing his mother's faint pleas for help, and most importantly, blaming himself for not being there. He had loved his mother more than anything, and when she died, he felt like there was nothing he had to live for.

But he did.

"Tsunade, listen to me," he said gently, "You may blame yourself for your family's death, but that's not a reason to join them. When they died, they left you with their hopes and dreams for you to accomplish. Most importantly, they left you to write the future of the family for them. You have to keep forging on for them."

"It hurts," cried Tsunade, "It hurts so much."

Iemitsu wrapped his arms around her. "I know," he said softly, "so don't hold in all that pain. Share it with the people that care about you. Share it with your onii-chan."

Slowly, Tsunade's sobs subsided, and she looked at him. Iemitsu felt his heart skip a beat when he noticed that she was actually very pretty. Her golden-brown eyes glistened with the last remnants of tears and her soft hair fell in random locks that seemed to perfectly frame her face. Standing up, he offered his hand to her. Tsunade reluctantly accepted it and stood up next to him. Iemitsu looked at her in a new light, and felt something deep inside of him stir. It was then when Iemitsu knew things wouldn't be the same between them.

* * *

**Four years later (pre-Tokyo)…**

"Onii-chan!" exclaimed Tsunade, warmly embracing Iemitsu.

"You know you can't call me that anymore," said Iemitsu, chuckling at her enthusiasm, "The adoption contract is nullified."

Tsunade stuck out her tongue at him but said nothing. Iemitsu knew that she was still angry at him for canceling the adoption contract. He decided to change the subject.

"So, have you gotten our new mission yet?"

"Yep," said Tsunade, waving a manila folder full of papers, "We'll be going to Tokyo to take down a major criminal organization dealing in weaponry. The leader of the organization is actually quite young, about your age." She handed the folder to him. "He is actually very skilled and hasn't lost a single customer yet, not to mention that there is almost no proof of his involvement."

Iemitsu skimmed through the documents and let out a low whistle. "These achievements are quite impressive for such a young leader. But then again," he looked up at Tsunade, "he hasn't met the Black Rose Huntress yet."

Tsunade broke out into a huge grin. "You got that right," she said happily, "I might just shorten it the Black Hunter for this mission to lose the feminine edge. The Black Rose Huntress is growing in fame, and I don't want too many people to suspect a girl. Besides, it's a mouthful to say."

"You'll be posing as a waitress and majoring in Criminal Profiling?" asked Iemitsu, still reading the contents of the folder.

"Yeah, it's easier that way," said Tsunade impatiently. She grabbed Iemitsu's arm and pulled him in the direction of the car. "You can read the rest on the jet, so let's go," she pleaded.

Iemitsu laughed and relented. He watched her fondly as she walked quickly in front of him.

_She's finally opened up to me over the last four years, _he thought. After joining the Interpol, Tsunade had become more comfortable around Iemitsu as they travelled the world together as the greatest Interpol agent pair. She had decided to pursue her brother's dream and was determined to accomplish what his brother left for her to do. Iemitsu was concerned for her health, but he strongly believed she could complete her brother's fate, because to him,

She was perfect.

Tsunade's trust in him wasn't the only thing that gradually grew over the years. Iemitsu's small feeling that he had felt after the incident four years ago had blossomed and grown into something bigger. He had cancelled the adoption contract after he realized he could no longer control his feelings when he was around Tsunade all the time as a sibling. She had been upset, but he knew it was the best choice.

After all, wouldn't she find it strange that her own nii-sama was in love with her?

Iemitsu assessed Tsunade for the hundredth time. She had grown even more beautiful, her awkward teenage years of growing tapering off into a lovely young adult. He could feel his own longing to tell her how he felt, for her to know of his true feelings. But he knew that it wasn't the right time yet; he still had many secrets in addition to his feelings—one that would affect her to the core.

He loved her so much, but he could tell that she only loved him in the way that siblings do. Still, he couldn't stamp out a small ember of hope that maybe, just maybe, she could one day stop looking at him as a brother, but as something more.

"Iemitsu-nii!" yelled Tsunade, "Hurry up!"

_She seems very eager today, _thought Iemitsu, _but of course, this organization actually has pretty strong ties into the mafia. Landing a blow there would get Tsunade a lot closer to completing her life-long goal, and I'll be with her,_

_Every step of the way._

Iemitsu put his thoughts away and hurried to catch up with Tsunade,

Heading to Tokyo,

Where everything changed.

* * *

**A/N- Next chapter, Tsunade gets home and things will change :D! Thanks to **_**smileysparklea **_**for reviewing!**

**R&R PLEASE!**


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: SORRY FOR THE WAIT! This chapter was really tough to type. I hope I didn't leave you all in suspense for too long, sorry about that .…**

* * *

Iemitsu was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps outside of the door. He checked his watch. _10:21, right on the mark. _

He smiled and got up to open the door, but his smile faded when he heard that Tsunade wasn't alone. Iemitsu paused near the door and strained to hear the conversation outside.

"Thanks for inviting me to Hokkaido," said Tsunade, "I still wish Iemitsu went with us though."

Iemitsu felt a rush of happiness when he heard that she had missed him, but his mood dampened considerably when he heard the familiar voice that answered her.

"It was a shame that he couldn't come," replied Reborn, "but the vacation was still fun, wasn't it?"

Frowning, Iemitsu leaned a bit closer to the door. Tsunade was careful to make sure her apartment door didn't have a peephole because she knew that people who were trained could find a way to look in, not to mention that she didn't need it anyway, being able to detect the person's intentions before even setting eyes on him or her. Though he couldn't see them, he could've sworn Reborn's tone grew a bit heavier.

After a brief silence, Iemitsu heard Tsunade clear her throat in embarrassment.

"So, ummm, I have a training seminar tomorrow," said Tsunade nervously, "It lasts all morning, but I'll be done in time for my shift at the café. Maybe I'll see you there?"

"Of course," sad Reborn, sounding a bit surprised, "I wouldn't miss a chance to see you again."

Iemitsu bristled. _How dare he try to smooth-talk her like that, _he thought angrily, though felt the slightest spark of uneasiness at the streak of sincerity in his voice.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," said Tsunade.

If Iemitsu could see them right now, he would've been absolutely furious when Reborn leaned forward to give Tsunade a good-bye kiss. Reborn smiled at her.

"See you."

Iemitsu heard footsteps growing fainter and went back to the couch, expecting Tsunade to come in. After a short while, he heard her sigh and unlock the door. He saw her eyes widen with surprise as she noticed him there.

"Iemitsu-nii!" said Tsunade in shock, "You're here!"

He raised his eyebrow at her astonishment. "Yeah, I am," he said suspiciously. _That's odd,_ he thought warily, _normally, she would be able to sense my presence stronger than anyone else's since we've been together for so long. Not only that, but she would usually immediately launch herself at me, but she seems to be behaving…strangely…like she's hiding something. _

Iemitsu got up and walked towards her. "You said you had something to tell me?"

Tsunade closed the door and hesitated. "Well, you see, it's about the investigation," she said slowly, "Actually, it's about my brother's fate as a whole. Do you remember what I told you about him, about Tsuna?"

"Yeah, I remember," said Iemitsu, "You told me that in your family, he was the only one who saw you as a person rather than a tool. He tried to spend time with you even as your parents gradually pulled away and focused their attention on him. Tsunayoshi was the only one who cared about you and kept you from slipping away into the darkness. Just before he died, his last words to you were, 'Tsunade, listen to me. You must try your hardest to preserve your life. It won't be easy completing your fate, but you must try, try as hard as you can. You must do it for yourself, so that you will live.' That's why you made it your goal to complete what he gave up to save you."

Tsunade sighed and leaned against the door. "You're right," she said softly, "He was everything to me when I felt that no one cared. My brother was my lifeline, as pure as the white rose that people associated with him. Because of him, I lived, and I swore to finish what he started, what he wanted me to do. I thought he wanted me to complete his fate, but now I think I know what he really wanted."

"What're you saying?" said Iemitsu, a sinking feeling in his stomach telling him that something seemed to be terribly wrong.

Taking a deep breath, Tsunade forced out the words,

"I'm resigning from the Interpol."

A stunned silence filled the room. Then Iemitsu spoke, his disbelief clearly evident in his voice, "What? You can't possibly be serious."

"I am," said Tsunade quietly but firmly, "I have already filled out the forms necessary and gave them to the agent who was stationed at the train station to make sure Leoko would come back. I signed the secrecy form that made it clear I wasn't to discuss this with any outsiders or else I and anyone associated with me will be silenced." She looked at him with a small smile. "I've already made my decision."

Iemitsu couldn't believe what was happening. He felt anger and confusion build up inside of him, and he was barely able to keep his voice from trembling when he finally spoke.

"So you're just going to throw everything away," he growled, "Everything you worked for, everything that you've devoted yourself to for the last four years, you're just going to toss it away like that? You're going let your brother die in vain?!"

Tsunade flinched at his words, but her gaze held steady. "No," she said, "I'm going to do what my brother really wanted me to do. He knew I was unhappy with my life, so he gave me the chance to escape from the whole madness and finally be free. Tsuna loved me even more than I loved him, and he died for my happiness, not for me to keep doing the one thing that caused me so much suffering."

Iemitsu was about to blurt out another set of questions when somehow, through the haze of confusion that was starting to cloud his mind, he noticed something weird.

_Her hair's down, _he realized, _she never lets it down unless she is in disguise. She's also messing with something around her neck, a necklace maybe. That's strange, she never wears jewelry. In fact, I have never seen her behave like this until…_

He narrowed his eyes as bits and pieces began to come together and approached Tsunade slowly. "What happened on that vacation?" he asked, suspicion leaking into his voice.

"What?" replied Tsunade, startled.

"I said, what happened on that vacation?"

"Onii-chan, I—"

"Don't call me that!" yelled Iemitsu. Shock and hurt flickered in Tsunade's eyes, but Iemitsu was too busy watching her rub subconsciously at something on her neck to notice. Suddenly, Iemitsu jumped forward and pinned Tsunade against the door, causing her to yelp in surprise. The impact caused her hair to fall back and reveal a small mark on her neck, one that he knew wasn't a work injury.

All of a sudden, everything from the conversation outside the door to Tsunade's weird behavior made sense. Iemitsu's fury immediately bubbled to the surface.

"What did he do to you?!" he roared. Tsunade was beginning to look a bit scared, but Iemitsu was too angry to care. "How could you have let him do this to you?! How could you have fallen in love with the enemy?! How could you have betrayed Tsunayoshi like this?! His life, his hopes, his dreams, his future, he gave it all up to you! How could you have thrown those away for…for…a _criminal_?!" He had stopped yelling then, but his one unspoken question still rang in the depths of his mind:

_How could you have chosen Reborn instead of me?_

Tsunade, confused and hurt, began to also feel a bit angry. "I never told you all of my brother's last words," she hissed, "I only told you what I thought was important at the time, but now I know that the part I dismissed as insignificant was what he was trying to tell me all along. He said to me, 'If you happen to find someone who you're willing to go through anything for, take the chance, because love is the only force fate can't change.' Tsuna wanted me to be happy. He wanted me to fall in love." Tsunade glared at Iemitsu defiantly as she said the words that shattered his heart,

"And I did."

Iemitsu felt his world come crumbling down, the pain in his chest increasing ten-fold, but Tsunade wasn't done talking yet.

"I put all my trust in you four years ago on that day," she said, furious, "You gave me a new purpose in life, and I began to depend on you as someone who would encourage me. I finally figured out what my brother gave his life for, and I was hoping you would understand, like a brother should. But I forgot," she spit the last words out with venom, "you aren't my onii-chan anymore."

"It's you who doesn't understand a thing." Iemitsu wasn't shouting anymore, but his voice was filled with so much barely contained rage that it shocked Tsunade into silence. "It was torture, absolute torture, to stay so close to you, yet restrain myself from being closer. I couldn't be your legal brother anymore without going insane. I knew it was foolish to hope, but I couldn't stop hoping, hoping that one day, you would…" Iemitsu drifted off and looked down.

Tsunade couldn't believe what she was hearing. No, she didn't want to believe what she was hearing. But she had to know the truth, the truth about the man who had been her surrogate brother and filled a little part of the void her real brother's death had left. "I would what?"

Iemitsu looked up, and if what Tsunade saw in his eyes wasn't proof enough, what he did next put her doubts to rest. He leaned in closer and said in a soft voice, "That you would love me in the same way I love you." Unable to control himself any longer, he pressed his lips onto hers, four years of hidden feelings of unrequited love finally revealing itself. Tsunade's eyes widened in shock and she desperately tried to push him away, but he only kissed her harder, fueled by passion. He pressed his body against hers, completely oblivious to Tsunade's struggles because the only thing in his mind was his need for her to be fulfilled at long last. Finally, Iemitsu's grip on one of her arms loosened, and she shoved him away with such force that she stumbled forward and hit the table, knocking over the picture frame on it. The sound of the glass shattering finally snapped Iemitsu out of his trance-like state. Looking at Tsunade's eyes swirling with fear, astonishment, and a hint of even…disgust, he felt horror seeping in as the realization of what he did sunk in.

_She never loved me as anything more than a brother, _he realized, _and, now, I've destroyed the only relationship we had._

Tears beginning to well up, Iemitsu managed to choke out "I'm sorry," before opening the door and hurrying out into the cool air of the night as tears began to fall.

* * *

Reborn had been listening to the raised voices next door for a while now. He was worried when he heard Tsunade begin to argue with the other person (probably Iemitsu since no one else would have a spare key to Tsunade's apartment). Though he couldn't hear the exact words being said, he knew that something was off because Tsunade usually would never get into such a heated conversation. When Reborn heard the sound of shattering glass, he finally made up his mind and decided to go investigate. He hastily threw on his shoes and stepped outside, allowing his eyes to adjust to the low level of light. Reborn frowned as he approached Tsunade's door.

_That's strange, her door's unlocked, _he thought, _and do I hear…sobbing?_

Tentatively, he opened the door slightly and peered in, and was shocked to see Tsunade collapsed in a pile of glass shards, tears streaming down her face. He rushed in to her side.

"Tsunade, are you ok?" asked Reborn, concerned. Then, realizing that was a stupid question, he quickly revised it to, "What happened?" He saw a few pieces of glass smeared slightly black are realized she was bleeding. "Your hands are all cut up!" he exclaimed, "You need to get it treated." Reborn began to stand up, but Tsunade's voice, so soft and wrought with pain, stopped him.

"Did you know that Iemitsu loved me?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse.

"Of course," said Reborn, confused, "He was your brother, after all. Well, technically he was your _former_ brother but—"

"Not in that way," interrupted Tsunade. She continued to stare at the picture in her bloodstained hands sadly and her tears began to drip onto the photo. "Not in that way."

Reborn felt his heart sink and a pang of sympathy. _Oh, _realized Reborn, _she finally knows how Iemitsu feels, and based off what I see, she found out the hard way. _"Yes," he admitted, "I did know."

There was a short pause, and then Tsunade let out a short harsh laugh. "I'm supposed to be a profiler," she said, a pained smile on her face, "One of the best in my class. I can almost write a biography on a complete stranger after a 15 minute conversation. I'm supposed to be an expert at getting into people's minds and finding out whatever they're hiding, but in the end, I'm just a rookie who isn't even able to know what her own brother feels. We spent four years together, and I was completely blind to his feelings. I'm nothing more than a fool."

The tears were flowing more freely now, and she began to choke up, her voice cracking, "I never saw him as anything more than my brother, and I would've never thought he saw me as something more. I was naïve to think that way, and now I've hurt Iemitsu more than I ever thought imaginable. I know I can't blame him for what happened, for what he feels, but the idea of him loving me in that way, the feel his lips felt on mine, I can't help but feel repulsed."

She hugged the photo to her chest and began sobbing harder, her small frame shaking. Watching Tsunade looking so lost and hurt, Reborn couldn't help but feel a rush of anger towards Iemitsu for hurting her so much. He knew that he couldn't blame Iemitsu for falling in love with her (after all, he did too.), but he just couldn't forgive anyone who could make Tsunade cry so hard.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, Reborn did the only logical solution he could think of,

He kissed her.

Tsunade was shocked into silence, and Reborn wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. "There," he said softly, "now you can think of that kiss instead."

Tsunade's widened eyes relaxed a bit and she laid her head on his shoulder, her sobs subsiding a bit.

"You said it yourself," murmured Reborn soothingly, "You will always consider Iemitsu as your brother, right? So even if his love for you is different, he still loves you, and you love him too. Isn't that what matters?"

They stayed in that position for a little while longer, then he felt Tsunade nod. Reborn stood up and offered his hand to her, unknowingly mirroring an event that happened four years ago. He let out a sigh of a relief when Tsunade took it, and pulled her up.

"Come on, let's get your hands fixed up," he said. Reborn led her to the sink and found several first aid materials in a cabinet. _She certainly is well stocked, but then again, I guess she can't go to the hospital in her unique situation, _he thought, dismissing a strange feeling of uneasiness at the amount of medical supplies. He quickly grabbed a roll of cloth bandages and some disinfectant and hurried back to where Tsunade was standing. Reborn took her hands from behind and gently washed them, noticing with a twinge of worry that her blood was darker than last time, nearly pure black. When Tsunade's tears finally stopped flowing, she relaxed and leaned back against his chest, taking comfort in his warmth and familiar scent. Reborn felt his heart jump, a feeling that once had been absolutely foreign to him that now felt absolutely natural. He carefully dried her hands, disinfected them, and wrapped them up. Looking back at her, he noticed with a smile that she was nearly asleep, her eyes half closed, revealing only a crescent of gold underneath.

_It is pretty late,_ thought Reborn. Though he would've given anything in the world to hold her longer, he, for once, didn't give in to his own selfish desires, knowing that he had kept her up really late already the night before. With a soft chuckle, he lifted her up bridal style, which, of course, caused her eyes to snap open and protests to begin streaming out in stuttered sentences. Reborn just smiled and carried her over to her room. He put her down and her words slowly faded to mumbles and her eyes began to close. Reborn held her seemingly small and fragile hand in his and he knew that this was the hand he wanted to hold for the rest of his life.

* * *

**(A/N: SUPER CONFUSING DIALOUGUE AHEAD! This part has both POV's in it, so it **_**is**_** really confusing. So basically, thoughts without '…' are one character's thoughts and thoughts with '…' are thoughts they're having simultaneously.)**

A ghost of a smile graced Tsunade's face when she felt Reborn's hand envelope hers.

_I'm giving up everything that made up my whole life to be with you, _she thought.

Reborn couldn't help but look at Tsunade with a slightly adoring gaze.

_I'm sacrificing what I built up from nearly nothing to stay by you._

'_The person I trust most is telling me this is a mistake'_

_Leoko refuses to accept my decision to leave what I had devoted myself to._

_Iemitsu can't understand that I finally know what my brother wanted for me._

'_But they don't know how I feel, how being with you makes everything seem so right.'_

_The business will suffer a tough blow when I leave._

_The Interpol will lament the loss of one of their best agents when I'm gone._

'_But that's ok.'_

_Because Tsunade,_

_Because Renato,_

'_I love you'_

Even as the thought hung in the air, the sky outside cleared up and a bit of moonlight filtered through the blinds and vaguely illuminated a red fedora in the closet right behind Reborn, as if it was pointing out the secrets that still divide them.

* * *

Leoko sat at his desk in the building where the business was mainly located, glaring at the weasly man in front of him.

"So, did you find anything?" demanded Leoko, his tone making it clear that he expected to hear a 'yes'.

"Ummm, yes, Leoko-san," said the man nervously, "Information on her was unusually hard to find and we really thought we wouldn't be able to retrieve it, but a short while ago, something new about her was apparently added somewhere and we were able to piggyback on the—"

"I don't need to hear the specifics," growled Leoko, "Just give me the information."

The man, who seemed like he would break down at any given moment, quickly pulled a file folder out of his bag and handed it to Leoko.

"You may go," said Leoko, dismissing the man as he opened the folder. As he read more and more, the missing pieces to the puzzle finally fell into place, and he began to formulate a plan. By the time he got through the entire file, he had a whole plot figured out. He leaned back and stared at a picture of Tsunade. The picture showed her usual honey golden eyes and brown hair—only she was wearing a suit and a red fedora. He grinned.

_My, my, _thought Leoko, _aren't you a clever girl, dear Tsunade-chan? Your deception was so well done that under different circumstances, I would consider recruiting you. _

He pulled out a lighter and set the corner of the photo on fire, breathing in the smoke with a dark satisfaction.

_Unfortunately, you're in my way, so I have no choice but to destroy you. Let's see how much Reborn still loves you after he knows who you really are._

* * *

**A/N: YET ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! DOES MY EVILNESS HAVE NO BOUNDS :D?** **I can't believe my story has come so far and I'm sad to say it's slowly coming to an end. Thanks to **_**it's so SUNNY XD, Guest, Anisthasia, **_**and**_** Saaniser **_**for reviewing! I appreciate it so much! :D**

**R&R PLEASE!**


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